Copy
by MermaidGirl34
Summary: Astro doesn't think his life can get much better. His dad has accepted him and he's slowly coming to terms with being a robot. But when the real Toby turns out to be alive, Astro's life is turned upside down once again. What will happen to Astro now?
1. Robot Boy

(A/N: I know this idea has been bouncing around between a couple people for a little while, but it seems no one has gotten around to writing it yet. I had the same idea while I was watching Astro Boy for the first time and I have some pretty good ideas concerning it that were begging to be written, so I guess I'll write it. So without further a due, Copy.)

Astro landed on top of his father's penthouse with a smile on his face, carelessly wiping off some grit from the slick surface of his robotic skin as his feet reverted from rocket boots back to normal. He had just arrived from stopping the demonic orange alien-thingy from destroying the city, and his spirits were high. Not only from his victory, but also from everything that had just happened to him.

He wasn't dead. He had come very close to it, but he wasn't dead. Twice he had been shut down, and twice he had thought his short life had been over for good. But he had been rescued, first by his father, and then by ZOG, his faithful robot friend. And not only that, his father had come to accept him despite the fact that he was a robot, and an imperfect copy of his dead son. And Cora had been reunited with her parents. Astro couldn't see how his life could get any better.

Unable to wipe the joyful grin off his face, Astro slid off the roof and entered the penthouse the normal way. As he walked down the spacious halls he surveyed its contents, his smile slipping somewhat. It was weird looking at the place and having memories surface about it. Him running through it, a little kid, playing hide-and-seek. Him reading a book on that couch. Him finally mastering a difficult video game on that game system. It was him, his memories. But yet they weren't. They were Toby's memories, downloaded into his head by Tenma so that he could be as much like Toby as possible.

For some reason, it bothered him. He knew he was a robot, and he knew he would never truly be Toby. He might have his memories and look just like him, but he wasn't him. He was his own person, and he liked that. So maybe that's why the memories bothered him so much. He had found out he was a robot and had been kicked out of Metro City. He had met Cora and the other orphans on the surface and found himself while he was there. He had made friends. And then he had returned to Metro City and saved it from destruction, finding his own destiny in the process. His purpose. He might have been created to be a replacement for Toby, but that was no longer his purpose. His purpose, his destiny, was to protect Metro City and use his special abilities to help others…and be as good as a son as he could to his father. That is who he was. Not Toby. So why couldn't he just have his own memories, instead of his own plus Toby's? A constant reminder of who he was created to replace? He'd much rather just be able to remember his time on the surface with Cora and the others, not the fake stuff planted in his robotic brain.

Sighing, Astro made his way through the rest of the house, not quite as happy as he had been a moment ago, but still unable to rid himself of the joyful feeling in his heart—er, Core—altogether. His spirits only lifted as he entered the penthouses main living room to hear the sound of his father's voice. Bill Tenma. His creator. His _father_. A father that wanted him, and had accepted him for what he was. A father that Astro loved from the deepest depths of whatever that it was in him that allowed him to feel. He wasn't sure what exactly it was that allowed that, but he thought it had something to do with the Core. The Core powered him. It kept him alive and gave him the ability to walk, think and talk. Why wouldn't it be the source of his feelings? It only made sense.

Smiling at the thought, Astro approached his father. He seemed to be on the phone with someone, having an in-depth conversation. Not wanting to interrupt him, Astro sat down on one of the couches and waited patiently for his father to finish.

As he waited, he could not help but listen to the conversation. His enhanced robotic hearing went off on its own, magnifying the words on both sides of the phone for his ears to hear without even trying. Grinning, he released his dad was talking to Doctor Elfun.

"—still not sure how he is capable of such feeling, but it must be something to do with the Blue Core," Tenma was saying, speaking rapidly and excitedly. "I hadn't put much thought into it before because I was so wrapped up in the fact that my little Toby was back and then that whole fiasco came right after it. I never really looked too much into the sheer abilities of the Core. Not only is he a perfect replica of Toby, he _feels_. And not programmed feelings, _real _feelings! Love, hatred, sorrow, happiness….everything! It's…it's amazing!"

Astro frowned slightly. Tenma was talking about him, and how he could feel. It was weird that they were talking about the exact same thing Astro had just been thinking about a moment before. Interested, he enhanced his hearing, wanting to hear more.

"I know, Tenma," Elfun said, chuckling at how excited the man was. "I saw. Remember?"

"Yes yes, of course you did," Tenma mumbled carelessly, his mind whirling. "But just think! He might not be Toby, but he's still like a real person. He loves me, and he feels like anyone else. We have to find out why this is! Why does the Core allow him to become so human-like?"

"I don't know Tenma," Elfun sighed, the smile clearly heard in his voice. "You know very well I only know as much about the Blue Core as you do. We'll just have to study Toby some more, maybe even conduct a couple of experiments, if he lets us. No dissecting ones though, I will not take part in anything that involves hurting the boy."

"No no of course not, of course not," Tenma agreed. "But we'll have to study it. And try to see if we can find more of the Blue Core. If we can make more robots like Toby, think about what we can do! And how we can enhance Toby's power, make him stronger, less vulnerable. Have enough extra Core left that we can assure that Toby would never be in danger of being turned off for good again."

"I will try my best to find more, but I don't know Tenma. The chances of us finding more is very slim. We were lucky to obtain the bit of the Core that we have."

"I know, I know," Tenma sighed. "But…it's worth a try right?"

"Of course," Elfun said kindly. "I'll keep my eyes peeled. Give my regards to Toby, will you?"

"Sure," Tenma said. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye Tenma," Elfun said before hanging up.

Sighing, Tenma hung up his own phone before slipping it back into his scientist's jacket. Silently, he began to leave the room.

"Hey Dad!" Astro said suddenly, sitting up abruptly.

Tenma jumped, whirling around in surprise.

"Toby!" he exclaimed at the sight of his robot son, eyes wide. "I didn't—where did…when did you get here?"

"A…little while ago," Astro said sheepishly, cringing slightly when his dad called him Toby. For some reason, he found himself not wanting to be called that anymore. But he did not want to tell this to his father. He didn't think he would like it.

"Did you…did you hear my phone conversation?" Tenma spluttered, still marveling how he had missed Astro's entrance.

Sheepishly, Astro nodded, looking down at his hands. He felt bad for eavesdropping, but it wasn't really his fault he had super hearing.

Sighing, Tenma abandoned his destination out the door and instead sat down on the couch next to Astro, carefully taking the small robots head in his hands and pulling it up gently so Astro's light brown eyes met his.

Astro frowned worriedly. "You're not mad, are you?" he asked.

"No, of course not," Tenma said, smiling. "Why would I be mad? I gave you that advanced hearing and stealth skills. Why should I be upset when you use them?"

Astro smiled weakly. He was glad his father understood. "Why were you talking about me?" he asked, recalling the conversation between Tenma and Elfun.

"Oh, we were just marveling at how amazing you are," Tenma said, shrugging it off lightly. He smiled warmly at Astro again, taking his face in hungrily with his eyes. Like he would never get enough of him.

"You were talking about how I can feel," Astro said, cocking his head slightly. He wasn't sure if he was completely comfortable with his father talking about his robot capabilities, but he guessed it was to be expected. He was a robot, and he needed to accept that. No matter how human like he was, he would never truly be human.

Tenma suddenly looked slightly uncomfortable, his smile slipping partly. "Well, yes," he admitted. "But not in a bad way. We just find it fascinating that you can love and feel so…so…"

"Human-like," Astro finished for him, smiling. "It's okay dad. Really. I'm fine with being a robot. I know I'm never going to be truly human."

Tenma smiled sadly, staring into Astro's soft chocolate eyes. "I know you aren't human," he said softly. "But you're still my son, and I love you. No matter how anyone talks about you, and no matter how _I_ talk about you and your capabilities, you're still my son, robot or no. Don't ever think that I love you any less just because you're a robot."

Astro nodded, but he still looked slightly unsure. The painful memory of his father rejecting him shortly after he discovered his powers surfaced in his mind. "You promise?" he asked softly.

"Promise," Tenma said sincerely. He hugged Astro and Astro's smile widened as he hugged him back, his body firm and warm. Living. Full of blood and cells and muscles and bones. Things that Astro didn't have, he reminded himself sadly.

They broke up after a moment, Astro sorry to let him go. Smiling sadly, Tenma got up from the coach. "I'll be back soon," he said. "Why don't you stay here and relax a little while? You deserve it, after you defeated that alien."

Astro smiled, remembering how he had delivered the orange alien to the Ministry of Science and helped safely lock it away. It had felt good, to help. And it felt doubly good to be admired by the workers there, not glared at or trying to avoid getting apprehended.

"Sure," he agreed, happy to have a break. It had been a crazy day. Could it have only been five days since he had been created? Or had it been longer? It certainly felt longer. A lot had happened in that small amount of time. He needed the rest, despite the fact that the Blue Core kept him healthy and constantly charged. He needed…the down time. "But where are you going?"

"Ministry of Science," his father answered, chuckling softly. "Where else? I'm needed there to help try an get the power grids back online so we can get the city back into the air. The sooner the better."

Astro frowned. "Back in the air?" he echoed.

"Of course Toby," Tenma said, looking surprised. "Did you think we'd let the city sit on the surface forever with all these worthless robots?" 

Astro's eyes widened at the last sentence, hurt shinning in his brown eyes. Quickly, he turned away.

Tenma seemed to see the damage his careless words had caused. "I…I'm sorry Toby…" he apologized, looking stressed. "I…I didn't mean it that way. I didn't mean you, it…it just kind of…came out that way."

"It's okay dad," Astro said, forcing a smile. "Really. It's fine."

Tenma frowned, but didn't push the subject. Quickly, he tried to change it to something lighter. "I'm going to re-enroll you into school while I'm out to," he said, smiling weakly.

Astro looked up, eyes wide. "School?" he repeated.

"Yeah," Tenma said, grinning now that the awkwardness had left. "A growing robot like you needs a good education." 

"But I thought you were going to home school me!" Astro exclaimed, recalling his first home schooling session with his dad. Or really, first day with his dad period.

"I know, I know, but I think public school will be good for you," Tenma said brightly. "Get you socializing, meet some people, make friends. Don't you already have a few?"

"Yeah," Astro said, his mind shifting to Zane, Widget and Sludge. And Cora. With a sudden rush of sadness, Astro realized he hadn't seen Cora since ZOG had brought him back to life. He had been carried away on everyone's shoulders in celebration, and then the alien had attacked. He wondered where she was. With her parents? Probably. But where were they? And more importantly, was she going to be going to public school with him? And all the others too? He would have to find out.

"See?" Tenma said encouragingly. "You already have a couple. Make some more! Go to a movie, have some fun! Do something a real kid would do! This is your chance to be like a real kid, Toby!"

Like a real kid. Astro liked the sound of that. "Alright dad," he said. "I will."

"Good," Tenma said approvingly. "I'll be back soon. Bye."

"Bye Dad," Astro said, and then Tenma was gone.

Sighing, Astro sank into the plush coach, savoring its comfiness, his robotic mind whirling through all that had happened to him for the millionth time that day. He didn't think he'd ever be able to relax, but it was worth a try. Getting up from the couch, he made his way to his room.

Toby's room, he reminded himself as he entered it, taking in the spacious interior. Not his. Despite the memories of being in it that surfaced in his mind when he looked at it, none of the memories were of him, only the one that he had of waking up to find his father, asleep at the foot of the bed. And how Tenma had hugged him, at the point of tears. At the time, Astro couldn't understand why his father had been like this. He had thought he was still Toby, and he didn't see what was wrong. He knew better now. Tenma had just been happy to have his son back, even though it was only a robot version of him.

Sighing sadly, Astro sat down on the bed. Lying down, he closed his eyes. He could feel the energy that powered them powering down, switching from normal, to a light blue, to black. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed this change before, back when he still believed he was Toby. He guessed he just hadn't been paying attention. But now that he knew he was a robot, he noticed everything. All the changes between how his body acted compared to the memories of how Toby's body worked. How Toby had become tired, and had to lay down to rest. Astro never felt tired, not really. Battered and maybe slightly off-kilter if he was injured, maybe not able to move or fly as fast as normal, but never really tired per se. He was always wired, always awake and ready. Another clue that he was artificial and not human.

And then there was his skin. Reluctantly, Toby opened his eyes, the blackness reverting to electric blue, his surroundings hazily coming into focus. Then he blinked and his eyes switched from glowing blue to his normal brown. Toby's normal brown, he reminded himself sadly.

He sat up and inspected his skin. Smooth. No bumps, no pimples, no pores or little hairs. Metallic. Fake. In vain, he tried to wrench off his red boots and black underwear-type thing with the green waistband but to no avail. They were molded into him, part of him. He could never take them off.

Frowning, he got up from the bed and went to his dresser. Toby's dresser. He looked in the mirror sadly. There he was, the perfect image of Toby. The black hair with the two spikes, the big brown eyes, everything. But yet he wasn't Toby, and never would be. He didn't think he liked looking in the mirror much. Averting his gaze down, Astro noticed a comb and a bottle of hair gel on the dresser. He picked them up, reading the label on the gel. He realized it must have been Toby's. He must have styled his hair here, every morning. No, not must have. Astro knew he did, he could remember it. Toby—not him, he told himself firmly—standing in front of the mirror, happily applying lots and lots of gel into his black hair and deftly forming the two spikes out of it.

In vain, Astro tried running the little black comb through his hair. It didn't work of course, simply screeching across the metal surface. He didn't have hair. It was all artificial, fake. Even though he knew what the results were going to be, Astro applied some gel into his hair. Like he knew it would, the substance simply slid off in globules, dripping onto the polished wood surface of the dresser. Sighing, Astro cleaned it up and put the gel and comb back, purposely avoiding looking at his reflection. He didn't want to look at himself anymore.

Instead, he went to his closet. Toby's closet. He surveyed the clothes slowly, memories of wearing them surfacing, although he knew he never had. Silently, he picked out a white T-shirt, a black sweatshirt and jeans and slipped them on. He hadn't been wearing anything except the underwear and the red boots that were part of him, the Peacemaker having burned them all off when it was destroyed. The only clothes he had ever really worn, he reminded himself sadly. It didn't really bother him much, not wearing anything, being a robot and all, but he thought it was best to wear some normal clothes. It made him feel at least a little bit more normal. More human.

He was about to pick out a pair of shoes too when he realized he couldn't. There was no way he could take off the red boots molded into him, and there was no way he'd be able to fit a pair of Toby's shoes over them. Sadly, he closed the closet and trudged back over to his bed and sat down. Trying to shake off the depressing thoughts of him not being human, Astro reverted his brain to his and Tenma's earlier conversation.

Despite how Tenma had told him to relax, and despite how good it would feel to just mope around the house doing whatever for a little while, Astro couldn't bring himself to do it. He was too wired—literally—to sit still. He wanted to fly. He wanted to go find Cora and talk to her about everything that had happened since they had last talked properly. About him being a robot, and how sorry he was for not telling her. About how he had almost died. About how ZOG had saved him, and about him being a hero now, and about his dad accepting him, and about her finding her parents, and…well, everything.

With this realization, Astro knew there was no way he was going to relax. So without further a due, he got up from the bed and left the room, exiting the penthouse and activating his rocket boots. On cue, his feet contracted to be replaced with jets of fire as he rose into the air at lightening speed. He would never get over how good it felt to fly. How free it made him feel. How wonderful. Smiling to himself, he took off into the heart of the city.

Time to find Cora.

~O~

Meanwhile, off in the middle of the city, the Metro City police were busy roping off sections of the road where bits of the destroyed Peacekeeper and rubble from the battle had blocked it. Some heavy-lifting robots were already being built to help clear the rubble, and Astro had already enlisted ZOG to help, but there was still plenty of debris to be cleared. So, in the meantime, those places were off limits.

So that was why no one noticed a little boy digging himself out of the rubble with a grunt, his black hair with two carefully-styled spikes disheveled and filled with dust from the debris. His brown eyes were wide with fear and confusion. He didn't know what had happened, and he didn't know why he was here. Only that he needed to get away. He needed to find his father.

Silently, Toby Tenma made his way through the rubble, careful not to be seen, and disappeared into a nearby alley. He knew Metro City like the back of his hand. He'd find his home.

And then his father could explain what was going on.


	2. Just a Machine

(A/N: Hello! :D I tried to get this done ASAP because I know lunar locket has been anxious. Speaking of which, special thanks to lunar locket and D for reviewing the last chap, you guys made my week! :D I didn't think I'd get any reviews on this, so thank you times a million! This was originally both chapters two and three but it was just too freaky long so I separated them. Chapter three is almost done because of that so I should be able to hopefully post it this week. Both chapters are mostly Cora/Astro fluff to set up the mood before the actual plot gets rollin. Enjoy!)

Astro flew through the city aimlessly, starting to become very frustrated with himself. He had been soaring all around the modern blue buildings that made up Metro City for the past half an hour, trying in vain to find Cora. When he had taken off originally, all that had been on his mind was finding Cora and apologizing for not telling her about him being a robot. He had been so caught up in going through what he was going to say to her when he found her that he hadn't even thought about how he had absolutely no idea where she was.

Thinking back, Astro tried in vain to remember if Cora had mentioned anything about where she lived. What her parents' first names were, their occupation, _anything _that might give him a lead on where she was staying. But there was nothing. And not just that Astro couldn't remember, he was positive that Cora had just not told him anything. His memory was fine. Perfect, even. He could remember every single word that she had said to him during their conversation on the hood of that busted up car in front of Hamegg's lair the second night of his stay…and last, he reminded himself bitterly. It was scary how vivid and precise his memory seemed to be. It must be something to do with his data storage or something within his brain. He could remember things better because unlike a human brain his brain simply files everything away. It never throws anything out. So he couldn't forget…well, anything.

Deciding this information might be a good thing to point out to his Dad about how his robotic body worked, Astro kept flying, circling the same block he had already circled three times previously. Twice he almost started to fly towards the Ministry of Science, looming in the distance, to ask his father to help him look up where Cora lived. He was sure his dad would be more than happy to help, especially since he was so set on Astro making friends and being more like a regular kid. But every time this thought ran through his head Astro knew that that wouldn't work. The first thing Tenma would ask him would be what Cora's last name was, so he could look up her address.

Astro had absolutely no clue what Cora's last name was.

Discouraged and tired of flying around in maddening circles, Astro finally gave up, plopping down on the nearest roof he could find. Sadly, he curled up in a fertile position, wrapping his arms around his legs and pulling them up to his chest. Sighing he burrowed his head in his knees. This was hopeless. There was no way he'd be able to find Cora.

Unless…

Suddenly hopeful, Astro willed his hearing to expand. As if on cue, his ears obeyed, and Astro found his hearing alive with a sudden flow of amplified noises coming from every which way. And not just human noises too—robots talking, cars honking, toilets flushing—Astro could suddenly hear it all. And it was extremely overwhelming.

Straining his ears, Astro tried to narrow down the sounds to just humans. It took him a moment, but he was finally able to block out the rest of the noise and simply hear human speech. It still wasn't quiet, but it narrowed the playing field a bit and allowed him to listen to the distinct voices more in depth. Hastily, he sorted through the random conversations going on in the buildings around him. When he had searched through them all, he took off and flew towards another group of skyscrapers and began to sort through the conversations there.

After a good fifteen minutes of flying and listening, Astro was beginning to think that this plan wasn't going to work either. Discouraged, he was about to give up once again when he heard it.

"Widget, give it back! It's _mine!_"

"No its not! Zane gave it to _me!_"

"No he didn't, he gave it to me! I'm older!"

"Only by a couple seconds!"

"Give it!"

Astro's eyes lit up as he recognized the voices. Widget and Sludge, the twins he had met on the surface. Ignoring any other sounds that his ears were picking up, Astro pinpointed the sound of the two twins arguing and sped towards it. He couldn't hear Cora, but he was hoping maybe the twins would know where she was.

In a matter of seconds, he came up to another skyscraper. It was big, though not quite as tall as some of the others. Inspecting the many stories, Astro realized it was an apartment building. The twins must be staying in one of them—with whom Astro was unsure. He didn't recall the twins saying anything about having parents in the city, but then again, Cora hadn't told him straight out either. He had just stumbled upon that discovery.

Expanding his hearing once again, Astro found which specific apartment the twins were in and flew towards it. Peering at it from the outside, he found it had a window and two balconies, located about three apartments down from the top of the entire building. A nice location, with a pretty view of the city, he noted. Smiling, he looked through the window to see the familiar site of the two twins fighting. They were tackling each other with no mercy, arguing over what looked like a little remote controlled flying car.

Amused, Astro hovered outside the apartment for a minute, watching them biker.

Until one of them looked up and spotted him.

"Astro!" Widget cried, prying her brother off of her and rushing towards the window with a huge smile on her face.

"Astro?" Sludge murmured, confused, until he too saw the hovering robot outside. "Astro!" he exclaimed and hurried to join his sister.

"Hey guys," Astro said, unable to stop from smiling at the sight of them. He suddenly realized how much he had missed the two little twins. "What's going on?"

"Astro Astro Astro!" Widget exclaimed through the glass, pressing her hands up against it and jumping up and down. "You won't _believe_ what happened! We've been adopted!"

"Adopted?" Astro repeated, surprised. "By who?"

"Cora's parents!" Sludge explained. "They adopted all of us! Zane, Grace…everybody! They have the biggest apartment in this building. We all have to share rooms though…except Cora…she gets her own since she's the oldest."

"_And _it's her house," Widget reminded him.

"And that," Sludge added.

"This is Cora's house?" Astro echoed, excited. He couldn't believe he had actually found it!

"Yeah!" Widget said. "You should come in! We can open…uh…"

She looked down at the window in confusion, obviously not knowing how to open it. Sludge looked just as confused.

"How 'bout I go around the normal way?" Astro suggested. He thought he would be able to open the window without too much difficulty, but he didn't want to be rude to Cora's parents. Especially since they hadn't officially met yet. Strolling in via window didn't seem very polite.

"Okay!" Widget agreed, and Sludge nodded. Smiling, Astro pivoted around in midair and shot downwards, landing expertly on the sidewalk as his feet reverted to normal. He was getting pretty good at this. Fairly proud of himself, he turned and faced the entrance.

A doorman stood in front of him, mouth forming a dumbfounded O.

"Er, hi," Astro said uncomfortably. "Could I…come in?"

"Oh yes of course…sir," the doorman spluttered, still slightly in shock as he opened the door to let Astro in.

Astro thanked him and walked into the main lobby. There were only a couple people there: a man having coffee, a woman going through her purse, and the clerk. As he entered, they all ceased what they were doing and stared at him in surprise. With a jolt Astro realized that they recognized him, after his heroics this morning and all…and that they all knew he was a robot. Suddenly self-conscious, Astro hurried to the elevator and punched the third to highest floor number, remembering how many stories down the apartment had been from the top. He felt a rush of relief flow through him when the lifts doors closed. He didn't think he liked the staring too much.

The elevator ascended fast. Very fast, due to modern technology. But it seemed to go slow for Astro, who was now used to flying at a very very _very _fast pace. He was also starting to get claustrophobic from the small confined space of the elevator, which didn't help. He had a vague memory that Toby had shared the same feeling for tiny spaces, and he wondered if that had something to do with it. Frankly, he was very happy when the lift opened and he was able to get off.

Thankfully, no one was in the hallway to stare at him. He had a feeling it would have made it harder for him to concentrate as he once again amplified his hearing to pinpoint which door was the one he needed. They all had nice little numbers projected on them in a hazy blue, but he had no clue which one was Cora's, since he had only seen the apartment from the outside. It didn't take him long to find the twins' excited voices one again. Apartment number 237. Astro filed that information away in his brain carefully, confident that he would no forget the number. Nervously, he approached the apartment.

A little blue screen was planted into the wall next to the door. At first Astro had no idea what it was supposed to do, but suddenly his eyes took over, reverting to x-ray mode as they searched how the little device worked. He was surprised to find he understood the mechanics of the little thing and knew exactly what it was and how to use it just from looking at its make-up. It was a doorbell. You placed your finger on it, and it sent a signal into the house, alerting the residences of the visitor. Astro had no idea how he knew how the jumble of wires inside the rectangle worked, but he did. Carefully, he extended his hand and placed his thumb on the blue panel.

The panel buzzed faintly at his touch, sending an electric current through a wire and into the apartment…and sending a similar current through Astro. His teeth chattered slightly as he removed his finger. He had a feeling that that didn't happen with normal people.

After a moment, Astro heard footsteps approaching the door. His nervous feeling increased, and he had a feeling if he had a heart, its beats would be much faster paced than usual. And his hands would probably be sweaty. Yes, definitely sweaty. Though of course, neither of these things happened, he noted sadly.

The door opened to reveal a middle-aged woman with dark hair—hair the same shade as Cora's, Astro noticed. He recognized her briefly from this morning. Cora's mother.

"Oh!" she exclaimed as she saw him on the doorstep. "H-hello."

"Um, hello," Astro said uncomfortably. "I was uh…I was wondering if…if Cora was… here?"

"Cora?" the woman repeated, as if she hadn't ever heard the name before. "Oh, yes, er…why don't…why don't you come in?" 

"Uh, yeah, thanks," Astro said awkwardly, stepping in through the door. Cora's mother shut it quietly behind him, giving him a one over with a look between curiosity and wariness.

"Come into the kitchen," she instructed, walking off. Astro followed her slowly, taking in the contents of the apartment. As the twins had said, it was big and very nice. Not quite as nice as his fathers penthouse, but clean and filled with pretty furniture, vases and framed pictures. He spotted one of a baby with tufts of little black hair sprouting and wondered vaguely if it was of Cora.

He walked into the kitchen and was suddenly bombarded with an aroma of scents. "Chicken soup, grilled cheese, lemonade and garlic bread," he said, listing off the different foods in a heartbeat.

Cora's mother stared at him, surprised.

Astro blushed. "Uh, sorry," he apologized.

"What's your name?" she asked, looking Astro over again, her expression guarded.

"Er Astro," Astro said. "I…I mean Toby, it's Toby, but I usually go by Astro." 

"Toby," Cora's mother repeated. "As in Toby Tenma, Bill Tenma's son?"

"Uh, yeah," Astro said, suddenly very uncomfortable. "But not really, I'm—"

"The robot version," Cora's mother finished, cocking her head slightly. "You're a robot copy of him, right?"

Astro shuffled his feet, looking down as a rush of sadness coursed through him. "Yeah," he mumbled.

"I'm Mrs. Sable," Cora's mom said, dipping her ladle into the chicken soup and stirring slowly. "Cora's mom. You can sit down if you like."

"Uh, nice to meet you, Mrs. Sable," Astro said politely, taking a seat on one of the chairs surrounding the kitchen table. Sable. So that was Cora's last name. Cora Sable. It had a nice ring to it.

Mrs. Sable nodded. "Cora just went up to take a shower," she said. "She should be down soo—"

She was cut off in a flurry of movement as the twins raced into the kitchen, yelling "ASTRO!" at the top of their lungs. They launched themselves at the robot, who almost fell over. "Whoa there," he laughed, hugging the two of them as they clung to him. "Don't kill me!"

"I missed you," Widget whispered, clinging to his red boot.

"Yeah," Sludge agreed. "Why didn't you tell us you were a robot? That's sooo cool! You can, like, fly and stuff! Can you take me flying? Pretty pleassee?"

"Me too! Me too!" Widget cried clinging to Astro's leg harder and jumping up and down.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea guys," Astro said, noting Mrs. Sable's disapproving look with discomfort.

"Aw c'mon," Sludge frowned. "Why do _you _get all the fun?"

"Trust me, being a robot isn't really that much fun," Astro muttered quietly.

"Widget, Sludge," Mrs. Sable said, putting her ladle down and leaning against the counter. "Why don't you go play for a little while? You can play with Astro in a moment."

Widget and Sludge looked disappointed, but they both muttered "Yes Mrs. Sable," and rushed off, already yelling dibs on the remote controlled car.

Quietly, Mrs. Sable went back to stirring her soup. Astro stood at the edge of the kitchen in silence, not wanting to say anything. He was already getting the feeling that Mrs. Sable didn't like him, and he didn't want to do anything else to offend her. For lack of something to do, he amplified his hearing again. He was becoming quite good at it. Immediately, the sounds of the apartment presented themselves to him. The creaks in the floor boards as the twins played, their shouts as they fought over the car, the steam on the stove for Mrs. Sable's soup and then there—running water. The shower. Mrs. Sable had said Cora was in the shower.

Astro listened to the sound of the water, gurgling and swishing merrily, coming somewhere from his left and running through countless pipes above his head. Sadly he wondered if he could even take a shower. He doubted it. He'd probably malfunction or something. Blow a circuit.

Shaking the unpleasant thought and mental image out of his head, he focused on Cora. He was starting to get butterflies in his stomach at just the thought of being in the same house as her. He had only seen her last that morning, but it felt like forever ago. He missed her.

He listened to the water for another moment before another sound presented itself. It took a minute for Astro to pinpoint it, and another for him to realize it was singing. _Cora's _singing, he realized with a jolt. She was singing in the shower. Interested, Astro amplified the sound. It wasn't a tune he recognized but that was not what mesmerized him. Her voice. It was _magnificent_. Why had he never heard her sing before?

He listened for a good couple minutes before she abruptly stopped. The water turned off a second later, and Astro heard Cora's light footsteps on the tile. She must just be getting out of the shower.

"Cora's out of the shower," he noted aloud, not thinking.

Mrs. Sable stopped stirring her soup abruptly, causing it to swish in the pot violently. She stared at Astro. "How do you know?" she asked somewhat accusingly.

Astro blushed. Or at least, he felt like he was blushing. He had no clue if his cheeks actually turned red or not. "I…uh…heard the water shut off," he said lamely.

"You can't have," Mrs. Sable said slowly. "We have sound-absorbing pipes. You can't hear the running water."

"Er, I…can…?" Astro said, unsure of what else to say.

Mrs. Sable opened her mouth to say something more, but seemed to think better of it and turned back to her cooking.

Astro looked away, embarrassed. He couldn't believe he actually had said that aloud. Now Mrs. Sable probably thought he was trying to spy on her daughter with his enhanced hearing. Wonderful.

But after a few moments, he was unable to ender the awkward silence anymore. Astro extended his hearing again, despite what Mrs. Sable had said. Listening to Cora wasn't really spying, was it?

She was in another room, somewhere to the right of the bathroom. Her room, he guessed. He could hear her drying off and brushing through her hair, humming the tune she had been singing previously. Then she moved and Astro could hear the clinking of hangers as she picked out her clothes. She'd be out any minute now. The butterflies in his stomach enhanced at the thought.

It only took five minutes, but it felt like eternity to poor Astro. Finally, he heard it. The distinct click of the lock as her door opened. Quickly, he brought his hearing back to normal range, careful not to say anything to Mrs. Sable this time.

He waited for a moment and then there she was, walking into the kitchen with her hair wrapped up in a fluffy white towel, wearing a simple, lean blue and black t-shirt and skinny jeans. In her hand she held her hairbrush—pink with little hearts, Astro noticed. Weird. He had never seen Cora as much as the girly type.

She yawned and smiled at her mom, not having noticed Astro quite yet. "Hey mom," she sighed.

"Hello darling," Mrs. Sable cooed, turning to face her daughter, her expression soft and loving. The complete opposite of the look she had been giving Astro a moment ago. "How was your shower?"

"Refreshing," Cora said, her voice sounding like the tinkle of wonderful music to Astro's ears. "I don't think I've felt this clean in ye—"

She broke off as her beautiful blue eyes fell on Astro, jaw dropping. Promptly, the hairbrush slipped out of her grasp and fell to the floor with a clang.

"A-Astro!" she exclaimed when she retrieved her voice. "What…w-when did you get here?"

"A…uh, little while ago," Astro spluttered, standing a little too abruptly and almost knocking his chair down. Swiftly, he caught it and shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "I came to apologize…I mean to talk _and _apologize and…uh…s-see how you were doing?"

Cora simple stared at him, mouth still open and eyes wide. Astro couldn't tell if she was glad to see him or upset. For a millisecond he was worried it would be the latter.

But then Cora's face broke out into a smile. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming!" she laughed, rushing over to him and enveloping him in a tight hug. Surprised, Astro smiled and gingerly hugged her back. His hands buzzed when he touched her and he felt like he could fly a thousand miles.

"I was kinda being carried off," he reminded her with a laugh. "Plus it took me a little while to find you."

"Yeah," Cora said, releasing him, her smile big and bold. Her sapphire eyes shone. "How'd you managed that? I don't remember ever telling you where I live."

"I…found it," Astro said sheepishly, not wanting to elaborate on really how hard he had searched to find her apartment.

She giggled. "You're more resourceful than you look," she teased.

"I'm a lot of things that I don't look," Astro shot back, smiling despite himself.

Behind Cora, Mrs. Sable coughed.

Cora whirled around; obviously having forgotten her mother was there. "Oh!" she said. "Um, mom this is Astro."

"Yes, so it is," Mrs. Sable said, frowning slightly at Astro. Clearly she didn't like her daughter's actions towards him. Astro shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

Cora seemed to have noticed the frown as well. She looked at her mother pointedly. "Do you think Astro can stay a little while?" she asked. "Since he came all this way to visit, I mean." Her eyes were hard.

Mrs. Sable looked unhappy about it, but she nodded. "He can stay until your father comes home," she said reluctantly.

Cora immediately brightened, all traces of hardness leaving her eyes. "Thanks mom!" she said brightly, hugging her around the waist, before turning to Astro. "C'mon!" she said, turning towards the door. "My room is this way."

"Uh, okay," Astro said, following her. He could feel Mrs. Sable's gaze on him as he left the kitchen and felt a rush of relief when he was out of her view.

Cora let him to her room-the second one on the right, Astro noted. But just as she put her hand on the handle, her mom poked her head out of the kitchen.

"Cora?" she called. "Can I speak with you for a minute?"

Cora made a face, but yelled "yeah" back. "I'll be right back," she apologized to Astro. "Probably just wants to talk to me about school or something. She just enrolled me. You can go on in."

She took off towards the kitchen. Astro watched her go before gingerly turning the door handle and entering Cora's room.

Immediately, the color pink blinded him. Blinking, Astro took in the interior of the room with surprise. Every little thing in it was pink. The bed spread, the rug, the drapes, the walls…everywhere the eye could see was pink, hearts, or little ballerinas. Closing the door behind him, Astro had to stop himself from laughing. This did _not _seem like Cora's kind of room. From what he'd seen of her, she was all for being a tomboy, screwing around and being rough. Pink did _not _seem like her thing.

Smiling despite himself, he sat down on her bed, letting himself sink into its mattress. He tried to free his mind and simply relax while he waited but found he couldn't. He had to know what Cora and her mother were talking about. Curious, he once again expanded his hearing.

The conversation came at him in a rush, louder than he expected.

"He's a robot Cora! You think I'm just going to let a _robot_ stroll up to my door and ask to see my daughter? He's a machine! He's not human and should not be treated as so!"

It was like a blow to the gut. Astro felt his heart plummet. So he was right. Mrs. Sable didn't like him. All she saw him as was a robot. A machine.

"It's not like that!" Cora's furious response came. "You don't understand! He's more than that!"

"How?" Cora's mom argued. "With his little programmed feelings and polite words? It's all fake Cora and you know it."

"It's not! I _know _it's not!" Cora cried, but Astro could tell she was unsure. Even she doubted that his emotions weren't part of his programming. Even Astro didn't know for sure. He didn't think so. His feelings for Cora felt different. Separate from the ones he was programmed to feel for Tenma, though even those feelings seemed to be coming more real and less artificial to him. But there was no way for Astro to be sure. He couldn't prove it.

Discouraged and sickened, Astro turned off his extensive hearing so he couldn't hear the conversation anymore. He didn't want to. Sadly, he curled up his legs to his chest and waited for Cora to return.


	3. Have You Ever Wanted to Fly?

**(A/N: Hey! So this is basically the rest of chapter 2. I split it because it was too long. Just more Cora/Astro fluff to set the mood and give both of them something more to flashback to later in the story besides just the small scenes in the movie. Chapter four will be more of the same…since I got kinda carried away with the fluff. Special thanks to lunar locket, me, Anonymous, KaylahDemi and moviegal99 for reviewing! You guys are so awesome I love you all! Merry Christmas! Hope you guys have a great one! :D Enjoy!)**

Cora's day had been the most hectic day of her entire life.

First, she had found out that Astro was a robot. That had come as a shock. Here was this boy that she had met and was starting to consider a friend. Maybe even more than a friend. And then she finds out he's a robot. A machine. He wasn't human! The unfairness of it all and the sense of betrayal she had felt when she looked at Astro's unmoving form on the floor outside the arena for the Robot Games were too much. Why? Why hadn't he told her? He had thought he was her friend. But no. He was just a robot, doing what robots do, she guessed.

She had found her place in the stands, determined to hold her new grudge. Astro was a robot. He had _lied _to her. He had pretended he was a human, and like a fool she had believed him. She didn't care anymore. Let him get pummeled to scrap metal and see if she cared.

But when Astro had entered the arena Cora could not stay upset. His eyes were wide; confused and scared. He had no idea what was going on. He was about to be killed and all he did was look around in confusion like the scared little boy he looked like. Automatically, Cora's heart had gone out to him. He shouldn't be in there. He was a kid, way too tiny and fragile for the killing machines that were put into this arena. She'd seen them countless times in previous years. Astro didn't stand a chance.

And that's why she couldn't help but cringe when the first robot came out. Astro saw it and started to back away, obviously starting to realize what was going on from Hamegg's announcements. Cora had hated listening to them. Hamegg's yell of, "That's a robot!" had been almost too painful for her to hear. And at that same moment Astro had looked right at her, his brown eyes pleading. She had looked away. Robot. He was just a robot.

But she had still held her breath as the first robot attacked. Expertly, Astro had dodged, not attacking. Then he dodged another blow, his face filled with surprise and fear. And then he had suddenly flown out of the way, causing Cora to gasp in shock. He could fly. His _feet_ were also _rocket boots! _When had she missed that little detail?

The battles had ensued, one after the other. Astro had tried to escape but had quickly come to the conclusion that he was going to have to fight to get out of this one. The electric shock that he had received had told him that well enough. Cora had been unable to restrain the yelp that rose in her throat as Astro had thousands of volts of electricity run through him as he hit the invisible robot barriers and fell to the earth with a sickening thump, smoking. No matter how many times she had told herself that he was just a robot, he couldn't feel it, she couldn't make herself believe it.

And then he had won. He'd defeated them all! Every single killer robot had fallen by his tiny but mighty hands.

Except ZOG.

Cora's heartbeat had increased a thousand fold when ZOG entered the ring. No. Oh no. There was no way Astro would be able to defeat ZOG. No _way_. He was dead. Suddenly feeling sick, Cora had willed herself to close her eyes, but they wouldn't close. They were plastered to Astro and she found herself unable to look away.

And then Astro had yelled, "I won't fight you ZOG!" Boldly, he had ripped the make-shift armor that Hamegg had given him off and closed his eyes. Cora had felt herself whimper. He wasn't going to even try to fight. This was it. Astro was going to be killed.

But ZOG hadn't killed him. Instead, he had lifted Astro up in victory.

And everything happened at once.

Hamegg, furious, had started zapping ZOG and Astro mercilessly until ZOG attacked. But before the giant robot could kill the small man, Astro had intervened, saving his life. Cora had been dumbfounded, unable to comprehend what had just happened. She had simply stared with the rest of the crowd as Astro struggled to hold up ZOG's foot, stopping it from crushing Hamegg below it. Shock had gripped her as she found herself unable to utter a word.

But she had been roughly brought back to reality as the Metro City ships had suddenly appeared, landing in the arena in a blink of an eye.

"What are _they _doing here?" she had exclaimed, rocketing from her seat on impulse. Just the sight of the ships from Metro City had caused painful memories to surface.

She had watched in horror as the ships opened and President Stone came out, followed by a flow of troops. He had pointed at Astro and barked something. Immediately, two troops had seized him, sending ZOG into an uproar. Cora had held her breath, expecting Astro to break away from the cops and fly away, leaving ZOG to wreak havoc.

But that didn't happen. Instead, Astro had frantically called ZOG off, not attempting any struggle with his captors. Sadly, his eyes had locked with Cora's and with a rush of pain and guilt Cora had watched as the troops shoved a pair of blue handcuffs around Astro's wrists before carting him off into one of the ships and flying away.

Everything was a blur from there. Once he was gone, Cora hadn't been able to take it anymore. She had ran from the arena back to Hamegg's lair and simply cried until she could cry no more.

Why? _Why?_ Why her? It wasn't fair! Hadn't she had enough grief plaguing her life already? And now she had fallen in love with a boy, only to find out he was a robot and have him snatched away from her probably forever. Why did the world _hate _her so much?

She had sat there, sobbing, for quite some time, the pain and sorrow flowing through her veins. As she had stared up at the sky with tear-stained cheeks, she found herself wishing. Wishing that Astro were there, beside her, to comfort her. It was stupid that after all that happened she still wished he were there. She realized that she didn't care that he was a robot. All she wanted was him next to her, with his big, calm brown eyes and sturdy, solid hands to comfort her. To calm her.

But Astro was never coming back.

This thought had brought on another fresh wave of tears and Cora had buried her head in her knees, crying with renewed grief and pain.

She didn't know how long she had sat there until Zane and the twins had appeared. She didn't really care. At that point she had cried until there was no tears left to fall and had simply sat there, sniffling and staring at the sky and the looming form of Metro City above her.

As she had stared, lights began to explode around the city. Even from way down on the Surface, Cora could hear the explosions that had suddenly started above. With a jolt she had realized only one person could be causing that much commotion.

"That has to be Astro," Widget had said, voicing Cora's own thoughts. "I don't care if he's a robot. I miss him."

"I hear ya," Zane had agreed.

_Me too. _Cora had silently agreed. _Me too._

She had stared at the explosions for a moment longer before grim determination settled in as an idea hit her. The lights of the chaos above glinting in her eyes, she had stood. She knew what she had to do.

"C'mon guys," she had said. "Lets go get ZOG."

"Why?' Zane had asked, confused.

Cora had smirked, eyes sparkling with new fire.

"Because we're gonna go help Astro," she had said.

Everything from that point on had been chaos. Cora, Zane and the twins—with help from ZOG—had stolen Hamegg's hover car and had flown up to Metro City, determined to help Astro. It hadn't been too hard to find him. He had been flying around the city at the speed of light, dodging debris and jets of red light from a giant robot that was smashing its way through the city. Cora's blood had run cold at the sight. That robot was worse than any robot she had ever seen in the Robot Games.

She knew she should probably get out of there. Astro could protect himself, but she couldn't. But as she had watched the two robots battle she knew she couldn't leave him. She didn't think she could stand not knowing what was happening to him.

They had watched as Astro had fought with a mix of horror and fascination. Astro was an amazing fighter. He was obviously built for the job, with his rocket-cannon arms and machine guns hidden in his butt—which was sort of weird, Cora thought.

But even he couldn't stand against this giant killer robot forever. After one particular heavy hit, Astro had fallen, landing hard on the pavement and struggling to get up. Cora's heart had skipped a beat as the demonic robot had come forward, advancing on Astro as he tried desperately to recover.

_Get up! _She had yelled silently. _Get up! GET UP ASTRO!_

But Astro hadn't got up. He had stared in horror as the robot had lifted its foot above him, ready to squash him.

And that's when Cora couldn't take it anymore. With a strong whip of the wheel she had steered the hover car down in a steep dive, heading for Astro. The others had screamed, but she had ignored them, focusing only on the small figure ahead. At the last possible moment she had let go of the wheel and had yelled at Zane to take it. Quickly, she had opened the shotgun door to the car and extended her arm, grabbing onto a surprised Astro and pulling him into the vehicle a split second before the foot crushed him. Breathing hard, Zane had pulled them back into the air, flying away from the huge killer machine.

"Astro?" Cora had asked the little robot worriedly.

"Cora?" Astro had murmured in confusion, lying dazed and woozy on the floor of the car. His eyes flickered open woozily and he looked at everyone and smiled, obviously happy to see all of them. "Thanks you guys," he had said. Then he frowned.

"Um, who's driving…?"

Immediately they had all looked back…to see Trashcan in the driver's seat.

They all screamed.

Trashcan barked and Zane hurriedly pushed him out. "Move over," he had grumbled before taking the wheel.

Cora had then turned back to Astro, who was slowly getting to his feet.

But suddenly, the world had begun to shake.

And then the city began to fall beneath them.

"Are we going up?"

"No, the city is falling down!"

And indeed it had been. The entire floating city was falling, the power going out in every building in the floating paradise…including the power for whatever contraption that was keeping the island in the air.

"Cora," Astro had breathed. "I've gotta take care of this."

"Astro no!" Cora had yelled, realizing what Astro was going to do. But the little robot had just shaken his head sadly at her, before jumping out of the flying car and zoomed down toward the rapidly sinking city.

"Astro!" Cora had yelled after him in vain, but the little robot was already gone.

"Follow him!" she had yelled at Zane, heart racing. She couldn't leave without Astro.

"Are you crazy?" Zane had said. "Go toward that giant killer robot thing?"

"We can't leave Astro!" Cora had said firmly, and Zane had reluctantly turned the car towards the falling city…

Which was gently being put down safely on the Surface. Cora had felt her breath leave her as she realized what had just happened.

Astro had carried the entire city and touched it down safely.

Unbelieveable.

"Whoa," Zane had breathed.

"Keep flying toward it," Cora had ordered. "We have to find Astro."

"Right, right," Zane had murmured in a daze, shooting down toward the now-landed flying city and zooming back toward the killer robot.

They had reached the giant machine just in time to see Astro grabbed by a mechanical arm inside the enormous robots chest, locking his arms to his sides and pulling him in towards its glowing red 'heart'. "No!" Cora had screamed, but Astro had already been pulled inside, struggling feebly all the way.

And then Cora had been blinded by a sudden flash of light.

When her vision had returned, all she had seen was rubble. Astro had been nowhere in sight and the robot had been blasted backward. A series of holes throughout a couple of buildings had made Cora think that maybe a similar thing had happened to Astro.

"Where's Astro?" Widget had whispered worriedly, looking around. "Is he okay?"

"I don't know," Cora had whispered back in equal worry. "I…I hope so."

"We need to get out of here," Zane had warned, hand twitching slightly on the wheel. "That thing is going to get up sooner or later!"

"We can't leave Astro," Cora had repeated again, determined not to abandon her robot friend, whether he was okay or not.

"All right, I get that," Zane had said, "but he's not here, and that thing is getting up again!"

Zane had been right. The gigantic robot was already getting to its feet.

In a split second, Cora made her decision. "Get us out of here," she had ordered. "Get us out of her now!"

Putting the pedal to the metal, Zane had obeyed. But they hadn't been quite fast enough.

Halfway out of the battleground, they'd all been flown sideways as a massive force had hit the hover car, grabbing it in midair. Cora had found herself screaming with the others as the demonic robotic face of the robot had looked through the window.

"Where's your little robot friend?" the thing had demanded in a voice Cora had vaguely recognized. "Where is he? I've got an election to win and I want that Core! Where is he hiding? Tell me! You hear me? Where is he?"

Scared to her breaking point, Widget had started crying. Cora had felt her heart sink. Silently, she had begged for Astro to come and save them.

And thank whomever it was she had to thank, Astro had come. In a flash of color he had rocketed into the giant thing, causing it to let go of the hover car, dropping it roughly back into the air.

"Go go go!" Cora had yelled, and once again Zane had pushed his foot down as far as it would go and brought them zooming out into a safe distance before turning them around to face the destruction.

Cora had felt her blood turn to ice at the sight. Astro wasn't even trying to fight. Instead, he had reared back and began to zoom toward the robot, aiming directly for the things red heart.

In a split second, Cora had realized what was going to happen. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew. The moment Astro came in contact with the red heart of the robot, he would die.

"NO!" she had shrieked, but it had been too late. Astro had already flown directly into the glowing center of the robot's chest, causing it to look down at itself in surprise. There was another blinding flash of light…and then it had begun to shake.

The thing seemed to have realized what was happening because it screamed as its body began to fall apart. They had all covered their ears as the robot began to disintegrate, rubble and debris falling all around it. It had screeched once more and then it was gone, leaving behind only a mound of rubble where it had been.

Cora had whipped her head around every which way, searching for Astro desperately, looking for any sign of his spiked hair and bright red boots. But there was none. A sob had risen in her throat and she made no move to suppress it.

"Astro…" she had chocked, tears starting to form in her eyes.

Zane, looking like he was suppressing tears himself, had brought the hover car down and shut off the engine. Widget had been crying too and Sludge looked pretty close. Sadly, they had all exited the car, staring at the wreckage. People were starting to appear from various corners and hiding places, murmuring and staring in horror at the destruction.

Then a voice had sounded from down in a little garden park, to Cora's left.

"Hey! Come look at this! It's the robot! The robot that saved us!"

The crowds' murmurs had increased and it had shifted to make its way towards the park. Cora had held her breath, not daring to believe it. Without thinking she had taken off towards the park, pushing her way through the crowd without so much as an "s'cuse me." She had reached the edge and she felt like the breath had been knocked out of her.

Astro had been lying on the grass, eyes closed. He had been battered and his right arm was broken, revealing a clump of multi-colored wires at his shoulder. He had been no longer wearing the clothes Cora had met him in. Judging by the steam still rising off his body they had been burned off. Instead he had been wearing a sort of black underwear-type thing with a green waistband. And his boots. Cora had never seen his full red boots exposed. They came all the way up to just below his knees, shinny and red. It was then she had realized they must be part of him. He didn't just choose to wear them, they were molded into him.

But that was not what had made the tears fall. It was his face, peaceful and blissful, that had made her cry. His eyes were closed and his head rested peacefully on the soft grass. He could have just been sleeping. She chocked slightly as another sob had risen and she found herself rushing to his side, sobbing.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair! He had saved them, saved the entire city…saved her…he didn't deserve to die. He didn't deserve to be a martyr. He was so…so…kind and selfless! He had given up his own _life _to defeat a robot that wasn't even his problem! He was so brave…and she…she had never got the chance to say goodbye.

People were murmuring behind her. She heard snatches of phrases such as, "That robot saved Metro City!" and "Who was he?" She ignored them. She didn't care what others thought. She only cared about Astro.

She had flinched slightly as a man had appeared, crouching down next to her by Astro's lifeless form. He had been old and rather short, with an over large nose. A nose that Cora would probably have found funny in any other situation but this one. She wiped her own nose just as someone asked, "Why would he care?"

"Because that robot had more humanity…" the man with the big nose had answered, sitting down and staring at Astro with sadness.

"…than most of us," he finished.

Cora had let out another sob. The man was right. Astro had been more human than anyone she had ever known. More than anyone she probably would ever know. It wasn't fair!

The man with the big nose had been staring at her. "Who are you?" he had asked. His tone was kind and his eyes were simply curious, not accusing.

Cora sniffled. "I'm his friend," she had got out, her voice cracking. "From the Surface."

She had heard murmurs of "You're from the Surface?" behind her but she had once again ignored them. She didn't care what they thought.

She had looked up at the man with the giant nose instead. "Can you fix him?" she had whispered, not daring to believe that there was a chance Astro might be fixed. He was a robot after all, and robots could be rebuilt…right?

But to her dismay the man had shaken his head. "No, I'm afraid not," he had sighed, looking almost as sad as Cora. "His Blue Core was unique." Carefully, he reached out and pressed Astro's chest lightly, revealing a panel Cora hadn't been able to see before.

Lightly, he opened it, revealing a little orb, gray and dead, held in place in Astro's chest with a mixture of wires and metal.

"Now it has died with him," he finished serenely.

"It's not fair!" Cora had wailed. "All he ever did was help people."

"Not just people," a deep voice had said behind them. They had both whipped around to see ZOG lumbering up under a cherry tree.

The man with the large nose had stared at ZOG with a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"Astro brought ZOG back to life," Cora had explained, sniffling.

"How?" The man had asked, awe-struck.

ZOG had pointed to his chest, tapping the area where a human heart would be. "Blue stuff," he said.

The man with the big nose's eyes had lit up at the words. Cora had stared at him in confusion. What was he getting all excited about? 

"Do you…do you have any of that blue stuff left?" the man had asked ZOG, a note of excitement in his voice.

ZOG had nodded quietly.

The man had smiled. "Do you think you can spare some for our friend here?" he had asked.

Cora had held her breath, realizing what the man was trying to do. Hope had flared in her chest. It could work. It was possible. Astro might still be able to live.

Slowly, ZOG had lumbered forward, Cora scurrying out of the way to let him through. The man followed her, eyes wide.

Slowly, ZOG had extended a single finger, pointing it straight at Astro's dead heart. As Cora had watched, a small bolt of blue electricity coursed through and then out of ZOG's finger, seeping into the little orb.

Then Cora had watched, opened mouthed, as Astro began to rise.

It had been the most unbelievable thing Cora had seen in her entire life. Astro had been lifted into the air, blue energy flying wild as his core was recharged. Cora had had to shield her eyes from the light. And then it was over, Astro being carefully carried back down by ZOG's blue energy connection, laying him gently on the grass.

ZOG then backed away and watched with the rest of them. Cora had held her breath. _Please. _She had begged silently. _Please work. Please be okay._

And miraculously, Astro had stirred. Cora had felt her heart soar as his head moved and a groaning sound came from him. Slowly, he began to blink until his eyes opened. He was okay. He was okay!

From there, things had gone almost too fast for Cora to remember. Not that she really cared. Astro was okay, and that was all that really mattered. She remembered rushing to him and hugging him tightly without thinking, overwhelmed with joy in seeing he was all right. After that, she remembered him being carried away by the mob of celebrating people, and right then her parents had appeared and everything else had been sidelined as she was reunited with them after so many years. The last memory she had of Astro was him grinning at her fondly as he was carted off, she sending him an equally happy smile back.

All these memories and thoughts cascaded through her mind in a matter of seconds as she stared at Astro now, before her, sitting in her kitchen. Vaguely, she felt her hairbrush slip from her grasp and heard it clatter to the floor but it seemed far away, like it was happening in a different world.

"A-Astro!" she managed to get out, feeling stupid for being so caught off guard. But really, she hadn't been expecting him to be sitting there in her kitchen. "What…w-when did you get here?"

"A…uh, little while ago," Astro said a little too quickly, standing up abruptly and knocking the chair he had been sitting on over. With inhuman speed he managed to catch it before it hit the tiled floor and carefully put it back in its upright position. He shuffled his red boots uncomfortably. "I came to apologize…I mean to talk _and _apologize and…uh…s-see how you were doing?"

Cora just stared at him. Apologize? Apologize for what? He hadn't—

Oh. Astro wanted to apologize for not telling her he was a robot.

She stared at him, taking in his smooth features and big, pleading brown eyes. She could kick him out, right now. She could redeem her grudge on him for not telling her that he wasn't even human. She thought about the pain she had felt when she had found out. She had felt stupid for not seeing the obvious, but mostly just betrayed. Betrayed by the boy who was a robot that she had fallen in love with.

But betrayed wasn't the right word. Looking into his big, soft brown eyes Cora could see the sincerity in them. He was truly sorry, and he had meant to tell her. Cora knew he had, she remembered when they had been sitting on the hood of Hamegg's busted car. She flashed back, remembering his words and how he had struggled to say them.

"I'm a r-…I'm kind of a r-…I'm a r-"

He couldn't get it out. Cora had just smiled, not even guessing what he was trying to say. She had been so at peace. She could not have known what he was trying to say to her. "Yeah?" she had laughed.

"I'm r-r-really starting to like it here with you…w-with you guys."

She hadn't guessed. She hadn't put two and two together. Now she could. He had tried to tell her but he couldn't do it. Why, she didn't know. Maybe he was scared she wouldn't like him if she knew. Cora had no clue what would have happened if Astro really had told her, but she had a feeling she would have liked it better than what _did _happen.

But he had tried. He hadn't meant to lie to her. He had wanted to tell her…he just couldn't do it when he had the chance.

And then he had had his second chance stripped away from him. Hamegg had taken care of that.

A flash of fear skipped across Astro's face and Cora realized he was worried that she wasn't going to forgive him. _Please. _His eyes seemed to say. _Please Cora. I'm sorry. I tried to tell you. Really, I did._

That's what did it. Staring into his pleading, chocolate brown eyes, Cora could not stay mad any longer. Forget him not telling her. It didn't matter anymore.

With that thought in mind, her face broke into a smile. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming!" she laughed, rushing over to him and hugging him tightly. Her smile slipped somewhat as she felt his skin, cold and metallic in her grip, but she pushed the thought away. She didn't care about that. She wouldn't _let _herself care about that. It didn't matter.

"I was kinda being carried off," he said, laughing. "Plus it took me a little while to find you." His voice held a mixture of relief and happiness and Cora realized he was relieved that she hadn't been mad. With this realization, she knew she had made the right choice. She couldn't stay mad at him. Not after all they had been through that day. That day. God it had been one _long_ day!

"Yeah," she agreed, releasing him, allowing her smile to dominant her face. "How'd you manage that? I don't remember ever telling you where I live." How _had_ he found her?

"I…found it," Astro said slowly, looking slightly uncomfortable again. It wasn't much of an answer, but Cora understood. One of his robot powers, no doubt.

She giggled. "You're more resourceful than you look," she teased.

"I'm a lot of things I don't look," Astro said, truth behind his words. _That's an understatement,_ Cora thought silently to herself, remembering how Astro had exploded into action in the Robot Games after she had been so sure he would be pummeled to death. He looked so…so…fragile. She had no clue he had the powers he had hidden inside his tiny frame.

Lost in thought again, she jumped as a slight cough behind her.

Cora whirled around to face her mother, who was leaning against the counter, eyeing the two of them disapprovingly. Cora had forgotten she was even there.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, feeling suddenly awkward. "Um, mom this is Astro."

"Yes, so it is," Mrs. Sable said, a frown forming on her lips. She clearly didn't like Astro and Cora felt a surge of anger. She didn't have to like him, but she didn't have to be rude!

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Do you think Astro can stay a little while?" she asked her mom deliberately, her features hard and defiant. "Since he came all this way to visit, I mean." She had her stuck now. Mrs. Sable couldn't send Astro home without being down right rude and Cora would have an excuse to be on her case with Dad for that. She had found out today that her father was a stickler for good manners.

Her mother's frown deepened but she nodded reluctantly. "He can stay until your father comes home," she said reluctantly.

Cora immediately brightened, happy with her victory. She loved her mother, and was happy to find that she still loved her and wanted her after all these years. The happiness she felt from being wanted was beyond words. But she would _not _let her mom being mean to Astro fly. It was only because of him that she was even _alive _today!

"Thanks mom!" she said sincerely, hugging her around the waist before swiftly turning on her heel. "C'mon!" she called to Astro over her shoulder as she began to leave the kitchen. "My room it this way."

"Uh, okay," Astro said, and she heard his footsteps following her.

She led him to her room, the second one of the right. She had just put her handle on the door and was about to open it when her mother poked her head out of the kitchen.

"Cora?" she called. "Can I speak with you for a minute?"

Cora made a face. She had a bad feeling what "speak to you for a minute" might entail. But she yelled a quick "yeah" back before turning to Astro. "I'll be right back," she apologized. "Probably just wants to talk to me about school or something. She just enrolled me. You can go on in."

She smiled at him before taking off back towards the kitchen. She heard her door open and close behind her and she looked over her shoulder to see that Astro had indeed gone into her room. Good. If what her mother wanted to talk about was what she thought her mother wanted to talk to her about, she didn't want Astro to hear any of it.

Slowing down, she entered the kitchen with a small sense of dread growing in the pit of her stomach. Her mother sat at the kitchen table, pointedly not on the chair Astro had been sitting on. Her face was unreadable.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" Cora asked slowly, taking a seat on the chair Astro _had _sat on.

"You know what I want to talk to you about," her mother said, her voice low and her eyes narrowed. "That robot. I will not tolerate him here in this house. I let it go for this visit but I will _not _let you let him come and go."

Cora winced when her mother called Astro "that robot." "He's not just a robot," she tried to explain, struggling to keep her voice calm. "He's living. He has feeling, thoughts."

"Rrrigght," her mother said disbelievingly. "Because he's built to act and talk and be like a human. But he's not. He's not Cora!"

"I know that!" Cora said, feeling her temper starting to rise despite her efforts to control it. "But he's different! He's not like other robots. He's…he's…"

"A robot!" her mother finished for her angrily, slapping her hand on the table and rising from her seat to yell at Cora. "He's a robot Cora! You think I'm just going to let a _robot _stroll up to my door and ask to see my daughter? He's a machine! He's not human and should not be treated as so!"

"It's not like that!" Cora yelled back, also rising from her seat, eyes blazing. Her temper flared and she made no more effort to control it. "You don't understand! He's more than that!"

"How?" her mother argued. "With his little programmed feelings and polite words? It's all fake Cora and you know it."

"It's not! I _know _it's not!" Cora screamed, tears starting to stream down her cheeks unwillingly. It wasn't fake. His feelings were real. They had to be. They _had_ to be.

But at her mothers words the doubt began to creep in. Was his feelings real? Or where they like her mother said, programmed into his brain? She was right, he _was _made to look like and act like a human. What if they _were _fake? She couldn't prove it, and neither could he. There would always be the possibility that his feelings weren't true. That he didn't really love her, that he was just constructed to act that way.

No. No, she couldn't allow herself to think that way. Astro was different. She knew he was.

She sniffled, wiping her tears angrily away. "You're wrong," she said forcefully to her mom before running out of the room. She didn't look back.

She reached her room in a flurry, stopping in front of the closed door. She took a big breath, composing herself. Roughly, she wiped the rest of her tears away and hoped that her eyes weren't too red. Carefully, she unwrapped her wet hair from its towel. It had almost air dried by now and she carefully swept some of it over so that it hid her puffy eyes slightly. Then she took a big breath and entered the room.

Astro was sitting on her bed, his legs curled up to his chest and a sad look on his face. He looked up when she entered and smiled, but it was forced. With a sinking feeling, Cora realized he must have heard her and her mother's argument. Wonderful. That was just the thing she needed him to hear. He probably would never want to visit her again now that he knew what her mother thought of him.

Sighing she walked over to him and sat on the bed, throwing her towel onto the dresser carelessly.

"Nice color," Astro said.

Cora frowned. "I'm sorry?"

"Nice color," Astro repeated. "The room, I mean."

"Oh," Cora said, looking around her very pink room. "Yeah, I guess. My mom decorated it like this, when I was little. Before I lived on the Surface. Not really my color now, but what are ya gonna do?"

"How did that happen anyway?" Astro asked, still not meeting her eyes.

"How did what happen?"

"You living on the Surface."

"Oh," Cora said, frowning. "Um, well, I was nine. We…we went for a picnic. On the Surface. It wasn't as bad as it was now then, and there were still some nice little patches of grass and trees to sit in. But there was an earthquake and…and then a bunch of robots c-came through and they took me with them and they…" she looked down. "My parents never found me," she finished softly. "They tried. They told me now that they searched everywhere for me, but I didn't know that. I was nine, I was lost in a world filled with discarded robots with no way home. I was scared. Then Hamegg found me and well…you know it from there."

"I'm sorry," Astro whispered.

Cora laughed softly. "Don't be," she said. "Not your fault. Sides, it worked out in the end. If I had never ended up on the Surface, I would have never met you."

"No, I guess not."

He sounded sad. With a sigh, Cora knew there was no avoiding what was coming next.

"How much did you hear?" she asked softly.

"Enough," Astro replied quietly. He didn't seem mad, only upset. Cora felt a small rush of guilt and anger. He didn't deserve to be treated like this.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "She shouldn't have talked about you like that. It's unfair and rude."

"It's okay," Astro said bitterly, shrugging. "It's understandable. What mom wants her kid hanging out with a robot anyway?" He focused on his knees, purposely not meeting her eyes. Cora frowned at his tone. He sounded so lost and sad and her heart immediately went out to him. This entire time she had been so wrapped up on how _she _felt about Astro being a robot she had never really considered how _he _felt about it. It must be horrible, knowing you were so human-like but could never be truly human. Cora could scarcely imagine.

"Well, _I _want to hang out with you," she assured him sincerely. "Nothing my mother says will change that."

Astro met her eyes, smiling slightly. "Thanks Cora," he whispered.

Cora raised an eyebrow, surprised. "For what?" she asked. What had _she _done? Astro had saved her life. Heck, Astro had saved the entire city! What had _she _done for _him?_

"For forgiving me," he said softly, unwrapping his arms from his legs and crossing them carefully on the bedspread. "For sticking with me even though you had every right to hate me for not telling you what I am. Thank you."

"You're…you're welcome," she said. She couldn't believe him. He was so…so…humble! And nice! He could be complaining about how her mother had treated him, ranting about how he had _died_. But instead he was thanking her for forgiving him for not doing something as stupid as not telling her he was a robot before Hamegg had cruelly exposed him as one. It was a simple little thing, but it meant the world to Cora.

They sat in silence for a couple minutes until Cora could not keep her questions in her head any longer.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked quietly, careful to not sound accusatory. She was over it, she wasn't mad anymore. She just wanted to know why Astro had been so hesitant to tell her his secret.

Astro hesitated, biting his lip. "Because…because I thought if I told you you wouldn't…you wouldn't…like me anymore," he got out, looking dejected. "I thought if you and the others knew what I really was you would all see my like you saw the other robots. Junk, or a pile of bolts and metal that is slapped together to serve its purpose and then forgotten. I didn't want you to see me that way. I wanted you to see and treat me like a person and…and…" he sighed, closing his eyes. "I wanted to belong," he admitted quietly. "I wanted you guys to like me and you guys did and I didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that."

He looked out through Cora's glass door forlornly, the one that led to her own private balcony, one of the two connected to her parents' apartment. "I guess it didn't matter in the long run anyway," he said softly. "You guys still found out. And I still got kicked out."

There was a small silence as Cora took his words in. Wow. She hadn't known he had felt that way. Sure, she had guessed he had been hesitant for her to know but she had no clue it was such a deep reason. Belong. All he had wanted was to belong and to be liked. A rush of sympathy ran through her as she remembered how all _she _had wanted was to belong when she had first ended up on the Surface. She had found that with Hamegg and the rest of the gang. It made sense that Astro had wanted it too.

But why? Why couldn't he have belonged here, in Metro City? The questions suddenly began to flood in, fast and furious. Why was Astro even built, exactly? Why had he ended up on the Surface in the first place?

"Astro…" Cora began slowly. "How _did _you end up on the Surface?"

Astro looked back at her for a moment before focusing on his boots. "It's kind of a long story," he murmured.

"I've got time," Cora said, swinging her legs up onto the bedspread so she faced Astro, crossing them so they mimed his.

He looked up at her and bit his lip, unsure. Then he sighed. "Fine," he said softly. "My Dad kicked me out."

"You're Dad?" she echoed, surprised. She hadn't really ever considered Astro having parents after she found out what he was. Robots don't have parents.

"Yeah," Astro said. "Bill Tenma, lead scientist at the Ministry of Science."

The name rang a bell. Where had Cora heard that name before?

"Is that the guy who fired Hamegg?" she asked, remembering where the name Tenma had surfaced.

Astro nodded. "Yeah," he confirmed. "I don't know anything about that though."

"So this Tenma guy…" Cora said slowly. "He's your Dad?"

"Uh…yeah…sorta…" Astro said, looking slightly uncomfortable now. "I mean, he created me."

"Why?" Cora asked. "Did he create you, I mean."

Astro sighed and looked out towards the balcony again. "That's where it gets complicated," he muttered.

"Try me," Cora said, feeling the urgency to know more. She suddenly realized how little she actually knew about Astro. Why was he built? Why in human form and not the more robotic look other robots have? Why does he have the powers and abilities he does? What _is_ the blue thingy-magig that powers him? Where did it come from? How old is he meant to be, and how old is he really? When was he built and who helped besides this Tenma guy?

Astro sighed again and faced her, closing his eyes. "First, we need to go back to the beginning," he said. Cora nodded, waiting in anticipation.

"I was built to be the replacement of my Dad's real son, Toby Tenma," Astro explained slowly, like the words pained him. "I'm a copy of him."

"Toby Tenma?" Cora repeated, aghast, a sudden chill running through her. "You mean this Tenma guy, your dad, has a _biological _son?"

"Had," Astro corrected. "He died. The Peacemaker vaporized him during a presentation of the Blue Core and how it powers robots with positive energy. President Stone put the Red Core into the robot, which is pure negative energy, and it went berserk. Dad put a shield down that contained it, but Toby was trapped inside and the mechanism to release the shield was jammed so no one could get to him. Then the Peacemaker vaporized him."

"Wow," Cora said softly. "That's horrible."

"Yeah," Astro said, frowning. "I think it really traumatized Dad. I mean, he saw it happen."

"I can scarcely imagine," Cora whispered. "But…what's this Blue and Red Core you mentioned?"

"Oh!" Astro exclaimed. "That's what powers me. The Blue Core, I mean. It's part of an asteroid that fell to Earth. The Blue Core generates pure positive energy and the Red Core generates pure negative energy."

"So the blue thing that powers you is alien?" Cora exclaimed, shocked. She had just assumed it was some sort of new power circuit.

"Yeah," Astro nodded. He lifted up his shirt and pressed his unblemished chest lightly. A little panel appeared with seams that had been invisible to Cora before. Astro dug his fingernails under the seams and opened the panel, revealing the glowing blue orb stuck in his middle where his heart should be.

Cora cringed at the sight of the criss-crossing wires and metal thingy-mabobs that made up Astro and held the Core in place. It was painful to see the evidence of her friend's inhuman features. But it was fascinating all the same. She felt the sudden urge to touch the glowing orb.

"You can touch it," Astro said, reading her mind.

"Seriously?" she said, aghast.

Astro nodded. "It won't hurt me or you or anything," he assured her. "I promise."

Gingerly, Cora extended her hand and touched the glowing blue sphere. An electric current immediately ran up her, but she didn't take her hand away. It felt…good. It made her feel happy and comfortable and surprisingly warm, despite her still-wet hair.

Astro laughed. Cora realized her mouth was open and quickly closed it, reluctantly taking her hand off the orb. Astro smiled at her before gently closing the panel, the seams disappearing once again, and letting his shirt drop back into place.

"That's so cool," Cora whispered in awe.

"Not really," Astro said. "I would much rather have an actual heart." The bitterness returned to his voice slightly, but he seemed a little bit more cheered up.

"What would happen if I took it out?" Cora asked, interested.

"I'd power down," Astro said. "After a few seconds. I just sort of fall asleep until it's placed back in again."

"But you can't live without it, right?" Cora asked slowly, remembering how dead and unlively-like the Core had looked after Astro had destroyed the giant robot.

Astro shook his head. "I think…" he said slowly. "I think I could be powered like any other robot, without the Core. But I wouldn't act the same. I would probably act more robotic and wouldn't have any of the memories I have collected. I'm not positive, of course, but I doubt it."

"So you wouldn't remember me," Cora said slowly.

Astro shook his head. "No," he sighed. "Probably not."

"Well, that's no fun," Cora decided, grinning. "Your life isn't half as cool without _me _in it."

Astro laughed, happy that Cora had lightened the mood a little. "I would never want to forget you Cora," he said sincerely.

"I should hope not," Cora scoffed playfully. "I think _I _might be the only thing that will keep those bucket of bolts in your head from rusting."

"Our you'll be the cause of it," Astro threw back, smirking.

"Oh you are _horrible_," she laughed, throwing a pillow at him.

He deflected it with his arm, laughing also.

She smiled at him, light-hearted for the first time since the Robot Games that morning. He smiled back before looking down at his boots again, embarrassed. They lapsed into a small silence again, neither one of them wanting to break it, or the happy mood.

But Cora eventually did, questions still swirling in her mind. "Do you live with your father, then?"

"Now?" Astro said. "Yeah, I guess. He…had a change in heart right after he shut me off. He decided he didn't care if I wasn't perfect copy of Toby, I was still his son."

"He shut you off?" Cora exclaimed, completely missing the last sentence.

Astro nodded. "That's why the President took me from the games," he explained. "He wanted the Core, and he needed my Dad to take it out of me for him."

"And he did?" Cora said, outraged. What kind of father did _that _to his son?

"Well, yeah…" Astro admitted, looking slightly disgruntled. "But he put it back and saved me right after. At least…I _think _it was right after. I don't really know. I was kind of off."

Cora frowned, shocked that Astro was taking this all in a stride. His father had practically _killed _him and he seemed okay with it. But she didn't press it. She didn't want to distress him any by pushing something that had already happened.

"Okay…" she said slowly. "So…you and you're father are back on good terms then?"

Astro nodded. "He accepted me as his son," he said softly, looking very happy about this. "He promised he'd love me, no matter what."

She smiled, realizing how much that meant to Astro. She remembered what he had said earlier, about wanting to belong. She was glad he had found somewhere to belong. "That's wonderful Astro," she said softly. "I'm glad you two are happy."

He smiled, looking up at her, eyes glistening. "Me too," he said softly. "After he kicked me out…I thought he'd never love me again. But he does, even though I'm a robot. That means the world to me." 

He grinned, looking down at his red boots again and stroking the smooth metal with his index finger. His smile slipped somewhat before disappearing completely as he stared at them. He looked up at Cora suddenly, a question sparkling in his eyes.

"Cora?" he whispered.

"What?"

"Do you…do you care that I…that I'm a…you know."

"A robot?" she finished for him softly.

He nodded.

"No," she said firmly. "Not at all." But her voice quivered slightly, and Astro heard it.

"It bothers you," he said softly, looking away again.

"No!" she protested, feeling horrible. "No it doesn't!"

"Cora, you don't have to lie to me," he said quietly. "It's okay. I understand."

"No, no it doesn't bother me," she insisted, determined to make him see how she saw him. "It's…unnerving that you aren't human, yes, but I don't care. Do understand, Astro? I don't care." She pronounced each one of the three words slowly. "I don't care one little bit. Not after what happened today. I could never care about something stupid like that after what happened today. You're different. You aren't like other robots. You feel. I know you do. I know it isn't fake and I don't care what my mother says I…I…"

She broke off, unable to finish the sentence. She realized she was crying lightly and quickly wiped away the tears, feeling stupid for crying and for babbling. She looked up at Astro, expecting to see him staring at her with a disgusted expression.

Instead, he was smiling at her. "Thank you," he whispered.

"For what?" she said.

"For saying all that," he said quietly. "And meaning it. I…I didn't know you…saw me that way."

"I do Astro," she said sincerely. "I do, I do, I do. I don't care that you're a robot and I will never, ever judge you because of it."

"Never?" he whispered.

"Never ever," she said. "I promise."

Astro practically beamed. He stared at her for a long moment, before self consciously looking away, back out Cora's balcony door.

"Can we go outside?" he asked suddenly.

Cora hadn't been expecting that. "Outsi…? Uh, yeah, sure."

Astro smiled at her, slipping off the bed. He smiled shyly as he stood next to her by the bed and extended his arm slowly. "C-come with me?" he asked nervously.

Cora stared at his extended arm for a moment, before breaking out into a smile. Grinning, she slowly slipped off the bed and linked her arm around Astro's. "Of course," she said, beaming.

He smiled back, the warmth of his grin reaching his chocolate eyes. With a spring in both of their steps, they walked over to Cora's balcony and opened the door.

Cold air met them as they stepped out into the quiet nighttime. Closing the door behind them, Astro and Cora walked to the balcony railing, slowly unlinking their arms and holding onto the railing to look out into the city before them.

It was truly a beautiful sight. The entire city was lit up like a Christmas tree, sparkling surreally in front of their very eyes. It took Cora's breath away.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Astro breathed.

"Yeah," Cora whispered, closing her eyes and letting the cool night air flow through her still-drying hair. She stayed that way for a moment, smiling at the wonderful feeling it brought her. After a moment she opened them again, and was surprised to see that Astro was staring at her. She looked down, suddenly self conscious.

"Have you ever wanted to fly Cora?" he asked her suddenly.

"What?" she sputtered, surprised.

"Have you ever….wanted to fly."

"Um, well…" she broke off, caught off guard. Had she ever wanted to fly? Sure, she wanted to fly. She wanted to soar like a bird, carefree and unburdened above the clouds, not a care in the world. Who wouldn't?

Astro was watching her, waiting for an answer.

"I…I would love to fly," she got out finally. "To soar. To not have to worry about anything for a little while and feel…feel the wind against my face and…and…"

"Let yourself go," Astro finished for her softly. She looked at him, surprised. "I know," he said. "I…I've always wanted to fly. Or at least…Toby always wanted to fly. Do you know how wonderful it felt when I found I actually _could _fly?"

"Wonderful, I'm sure," Cora sighed, a jealous feeling coming over her. Astro was so lucky, with his rocket boots. He could fly whenever he wanted to. She would never be able to do that.

"Yes, it felt wonderful," Astro sighed. "Would you…would you ever want to feel that?"

"Feel what it's like to fly? Freely, not in a hover car?" Cora said. "Yes, I would love to that."

"Would you like to now?"

Cora whipped her head around to face Astro, eyes wide.

"What did you say?"

Astro swallowed, looking suddenly nervous. "I said…I-I mean I…would you…would you like me to take you…flying?"

Cora stared at him, mouth open. "Are you…are you offering to take me on a _flight_?" she whispered, aghast.

Astro looked down. "I-I understand if you don't want to, really, it's fine I—"

"Astro!" Cora interrupted, her face lighting up. "Are you serious! Of course I want to!"

Astro looked up, not daring to believe it. "Really? You want to go?"

"Are you _crazy_?" she laughed, grabbing his arm and smiling so wide that she thought her face was going to explode. "Why _wouldn't _I want to go? Oh my gosh Astro…y-you're serious?"

"Of course," Astro said, beaming back at her and thrilled by her excitement. "We can…we can go right now…if…if you like."

"R-right now?" Cora repeated weakly.

Astro nodded.

"A-all right."

Astro grinned at her briefly, before turning to the balcony rail. Taking a big breath, he stepped up onto the rail with both red boots, balancing expertly on the thin metal. He turned to Cora, smiling slightly.

"Hop on," he whispered.

Cora felt suddenly faint. "H-hop on?"

"On my back," Astro laughed. "Wrap your arms around my neck so you won't fall off."

"W-won't I choke you?" Cora asked worriedly.

Astro laughed again. "I'm a robot Cora," he said. "You can't choke me because I don't have a windpipe to crush."

"Oh," Cora said, feeling stupid. "Right." Slowly, she unglued herself from her position at the rail and moved over behind him, heart pounding in her ears. Shaking slightly, she reached up and grabbed onto Astro's strong shoulders. Holding onto them tightly, she used them to host herself up onto the rail.

Slowly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held them together tightly, a sudden rush of fear running through her at the sight of the ground, very _very_ far below her. "Oh God…" she breathed.

"If you don't want to go anymore, it's okay Cora," Astro said. "I understand."

"N-no," Cora said shakily. "I'm fine. Really. We can still go."

"You sure?" Astro pushed. He was looking at her sideways, his brown eyes looking behind him to look at her. She shivered slightly at the feel of the cold metal of the rail through her thin socks.

"Positive," she said firmly. She could do this.

"All right," Astro sighed, looking in front of him again and down at the lit up streets below him. He closed his eyes.

"Do you trust me?" he asked softly.

"W-wha-what?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Uh, well, yeah. Yeah, I trust you," Cora spluttered.

Astro smiled, opening his eyes. "Then hold on tight," he said.

And then he jumped off the balcony.


	4. Take Flight

(**A/N: Hey everybody I am back! Hope you guys all had a great Christmas! Happy New Year! Thank you's galore to GirlyGirl95, Astro gal/moviegal99, KaylahDemi, Desiree Phantom, B and Lunar Locket for reviewing I love you guys so much it's crazy! Thank you guys soo much for reading and reviewing! :D Enjoy!)**

Cora was screaming.

And Astro was laughing.

Shrieking like she had never shrieked before, Cora tightened her grip on Astro's neck as the world came rushing up at her, the buildings around them blurring as the two of them fell. Her scream rose to the level of hysterics, legs flailing wildly as Astro calmly allowed the two of them fall, laughing all the way.

The ground was really close now, the street coming at them at a hundred miles per hour, going to flatten them like a giant pancake. Still shrieking, she braced herself for impact…

But a fraction of a second before they hit the ground Astro miraculously spread his arms and swooped upwards, the sound of rockets filling both of their ears as Astro's rocket boots activated, bringing them shooting upwards twice as fast as they had just fallen.

Cora was too shocked to even remember to scream again. Her skin plastered itself to her skull as they rocketed upwards and her ears popped from the force of the air pressure, sending her hair flying behind her and causing her to blink rapidly to keep her eyes open. Colors blurred all around her, first the bluish white of the buildings of Metro City, then black as they passed them and entered the realm of the dark night sky, alive with the blurred lights of the stars. And then the next thing Cora knew all she could see was white. Pure, pristine whiteness, all around her.

_Clouds!_

Astro then pulled out of his steep incline, leveling them so that they were now parallel to the city and the Surface, now very far beneath them. He smiled around at her, still clinging in terror to his neck, eyes alive.

"You didn't think I was going to actually let us fall, did you?" he laughed.

Cora tried to say something witty, like "Coulda fooled me," or something along those lines, but when she opened her mouth, all that came out was a small whimper.

Astro laughed again, picking up speed a little bit more and swooping down towards the sea of clouds below them, his outstretched arms just grazing the surface of their fluffy whiteness. Cora stared at them, mouth open, completely mesmerized and unable to comprehend what was truly happening.

She was flying. Really _flying!_

A smile that she was unable to suppress taking over her features, Cora giggled. Then she laughed. Then she full out cracked up, eyes wide and alight with thrill and awe as they soared across the endless sea of clouds, the wind flowing through her hair and chilling her exposed skin.

She was FLYING!

Astro laughed with her, grinning like he had never grinned before, sharing in her thrill. He never felt more alive then when he was flying, and he was more than happy to be sharing his thrill with her. On impulse, he reached behind him and touched her arm, still clutched tightly to his neck. Lightly, he held onto her wrist and carefully began to pry it off of him. At first she resisted him, looking at him over his shoulder like he was crazy. But then she slowly let go, letting him take her arm and extend it out next to his.

Smiling, Astro let himself dip down a little, turning on his side slightly so that both their hands came down closer to the clouds beneath them. Grinning, he intertwined his fingers with hers and let their hands sink into the fluffy white, trailing them through the sea of clouds as they flew. It tickled his hands pleasantly and he looked back at Cora to see her staring at the clouds and their hands in wonder. Then a grin broke over her face and she let go of Astro's hand, letting hers trail across the clouds like water, laughing with the delight at the feeling it brought her.

He smiled, letting her play around with the clouds for a few moments, zig zagging and swerving over the surface of them and listening to her giggle as her hand ran through the fluffy substance. Then, after he had let her play with it for a couple minutes, he pulled up into a sudden climb, bringing them up into the air and causing Cora to scream again at the sudden jolt. He felt her arm right arm come back to cling to him desperately as the rose again and he grinned, feeling his heart swoop with joy….er, figuratively speaking, that is.

He closed his eyes, letting them rise for a moment, savoring the feeling of the wind on his face and the sound of Cora's laughs of joy. Then, after they had risen to the point that he could start sensing the pressure, he stopped, leveling off into what would, on land, be a standing position. His feet dangled precisely in the air, the jets of fire that was keeping him and Cora in the air still blazing merrily. Opening his eyes, he spread his arms, raising his right leg slightly to keep them balanced.

He heard Cora's sharp intake of breath in his ear.

Below them, very far below them, was Metro City, alight with its dazzling blue glow that they had been marveling from Cora's balcony just a few minutes before. But now it was three times more gorgeous, the whole once-floating city spread out below them, lit up and sparkling surreally just for them, an occasionally cloud lazily floating through their view as if to prove just how high up they really were.

"Oh my God…" Cora breathed in his ear. "It's…it's magnificent."

"Isn't it?" Astro sighed, smiling at the picture perfect scene below them. "It's so surreal."

"Yeah," Cora agreed in awe, obviously blown away. "All of it. All of _this_! The clouds, the wind, how _fast _we were flying…flying, oh my gosh we're flying…"

Astro laughed at this, pivoting his head to look at Cora, her hair flying into her stunning blue eyes, alight with disbelievement, awe and joy.

"Shall we keep going?" he asked.

Cora stared at him, mouth opening. "Keep flying?"

Astro laughed. "What else?"

Stunned, Cora nodded and Astro obediently took off again, dropping into a steep dive; putting his arms out in front of him and letting his hands curl into fists. With another shriek from Cora they rocketed down towards the blanket of clouds, the wind whistling in their ears.

With a hiss they flew straight through the cloud, their vision temporarily blinded by the sudden rush of white in every direction. Then they were out, still diving and zooming down toward Metro City again.

Cora spluttered slightly as water got into her mouth. They were _wet! _Astro laughed at her again, water dripping off of him too as they kept diving, the wind buffeting the two of them and swirling all around them as the dove, causing Cora's ears to pop again.

Spitting water and resisting the urge to scream again, Cora marveled at the view, the lights of the city blurring as they approached at top speed, a swooping sensation of ultimate thrill growing in her chest. She felt so…so _alive!_

Eyes alight she laughed again, still not grasping that they were flying, actually _flying! _The ground was millions of feet below them, but here they were, weightless and swooping through thin air, the wind whistling in her ears. It was fantastic, and Cora had never felt so wonderful in her entire life. She never wanted it to end. She wanted to keep flying, keep soaring like this for the rest of her life, twirling and dipping, doing flips and feeling that weightless feeling in her stomach, the falling and then rising sensation in her heart.

She longed to speed up even more, to seize this opportunity and rule the air. And as if reading her mind, Astro began to dip, moving into a zigzag motion before he began to twirl, causing Cora to scream in delight again as she was thrown into endless circles, shoots of adrenaline and thrill running through her veins as she was thrown upside down before roughly being brought around again, only for it to be repeated, still all the while flying toward the city.

After a minute or so Astro stopped the twirling, looking back over his shoulder at Cora. "You okay?" he asked. "I'll stop doing tricks if you don't like it."

"Are you kidding me?" Cora yelled over the roar of the wind. "This is _awesome! _Keep going!"

A grin spread across Astro's face and he immediately ducked into a front flip, a smooth, giant circle in the air. Cora screamed and laughed in enjoyment, savoring the thrill that ran up and down her veins as the pin-wheeled. _This must be what a roller coaster feels like, _Cora thought, remembering seeing the giant contraptions of entertainment on the TV's in Hamegg's layer once. Of course those things don't exist anymore now, but Cora had always longed to ride one. They looked like so much fun!

This, Cora thought as Astro brought them into a series of triple flips, was probably ten times better.

After his tenth triple flip, Astro stopped, hovering in midair for a moment and looking back at her.

"Why'd you stop?" Cora laughed. "You tired or something?"

"Me?" Astro asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm a robot. I can do this all day. I wanted to know if _you _were tired."

"Astro," Cora said, hugging his neck tighter. "I can do this forever."

"Forever?" Astro repeated quietly.

"For ever and ever," Cora said truthfully.

"Then what shall we do next?" he asked.

"Go crazy," Cora said automatically, eyes shinning. If she was going to fly, she wanted to _fly._ "Knock yourself out."

Astro raised and eyebrow. "Seriously? You want me to go all out?"

"Yes," Cora yelped in excitement, clutching Astro tighter. "Yes yes yes! I want to _really _fly! Lets see what you can _really _do!"

A sly grin began to form on Astro's lips. "If you insist," he said, and just like that they were off. Cora screamed as the city came suddenly rushing at them, the buildings going from tiny to huge in a matter of seconds as they approached faster than Cora had ever imagined possible. Expertly, Astro weaved amongst the giant structures, throwing in the occasional flip or twirl for good measure. At every turn he made sure to swerve at the last possible moment, rounding the corner a fraction of a second before they hit the wall. His steering was excellent and he never slowed down as he swooped clear over the tallest buildings and skimmed just a few inches off the street, weaving in between startled pedestrians and brightly colored hover cars.

Soon they had flown around the entire city, circling up the Ministry of Science like a gumball machine, before coming to a hovering stop a good couple of feet above its clean rooftop. They hovered there for a few moments, just drinking in the awesome view of the city, before Astro spoke.

"Why don't we take this flight _outside _the city?"

"Outside? What do you mean outsi—"

But Cora never got to finish her sentence. They were already off, Astro taking on full speed, even faster than he had flown before. The city blurred before them and Cora was forced to close her eyes from the flurry of the wind that Astro was creating. A scream escaped her mouth against her will as she hung on for dear life, clutching onto Astro like a life line, scared out of her wits but yet still assured that Astro would never, ever let her fall.

And then they slowed, the wind dying down slightly as Astro moved into a light soar, swooping and twirling through the air carelessly. Slowly, Cora opened her eyes.

And gasped at the sight below her.

"The Surface…" she whispered, taking in the giant mounds of discarded robots and junk below them.

"Yep," Astro said. "But we aren't going to the garbage part."

Before Cora could ask what he meant, he picked up speed slightly, diving down so that they were now weaving around the giant mounds of trash, heading for whatever it was they were headed for.

"Close your eyes," Astro said softly as they swerved around yet another hill of discarded parts.

"Why?" Cora asked.

"Just…trust me."

Obediently, Cora closed her eyes, curiosity overcoming her as she hugged Astro's neck even more, comforted by the strong feel of his body. No matter how fast they flew, no matter how many flips he did and no matter where he took her, she knew he would never let her fall. She knew she could trust him with her life.

They flew on for a little while, until Astro suddenly came to a halt, moving into an upright position so that Cora's legs dangled next to Astro's red boots, still blazing with fire. Gently, Cora felt them begin to descend, and after a moment she felt soft grass beneath her feet as she heard Astro's rocket boots turn off, the steady hum of the jets ceasing. Placing her feet solidly on the ground, Cora carefully unhooked her arms from around Astro's neck, swaying slightly as she stood on solid ground once again.

She felt Astro's sturdy arm catch her arm as she swayed, holding her steady. Slowly, Cora got used to standing again.

"Can I open my eyes now?" she asked, her curiosity threatening to take her over as she felt a soft breeze flow through her hair.

"Not yet," Astro said, slipping his hand into hers and gently dragging her in a certain direction. "Just let me guide you for a moment. Follow my voice."

"Really, what's the big surprise?" Cora laughed as she blindly followed Astro, stumbling slightly. Astro caught her, keeping her on her feet with his steady, strong arms.

"You'll see in a moment," Astro assured her, excitement betrayed in his voice.

They walked for a little while, the cool feel of the grass tickling Cora's feet. After a moment, she felt the ground give way into a sudden decline, suggesting a hill of some sort. They traveled down this supposed hill for a minute, Astro carefully leading the blind Cora down until the ground leveled off again.

"Okay," Astro breathed. "Open your eyes."

Slowly, Cora let her eyes open.

And gasped.

It was a valley. A beautiful, moonlit valley with trees dotting the steep hill behind them, the one they had just gone down. It was gorgeous, especially in the moonlight, and deprived of hardly any garbage—which was a miracle in itself on the Surface.

But that's not what took Cora's breath away.

She _knew _this valley. Even in the dark, she recognized. She'd been here, countless times…even though its main object of attraction was now gone.

"This…" she breathed. "This is the valley that ZOG was in! Before you brought him back to life."

"Yep," Astro said, smiling at her. "I thought you'd recognize it. I saw it earlier when we were flying and thought…thought it looked…pretty. You know, in the moonlight."

He looked sort of sheepish, looking down and rubbing the back of his neck like he always does when he's uncomfortable. "We could have gone to any park in Metro City," he said softly. "But none of those had the same…memorable moments in it like this one."

He smiled, running over to the flatten patch of grass in the middle of the valley and flopping down on the trampled weeds. Laughing, Cora followed him, falling down next to him, spread eagled.

"Do you remember when I first saw this place?" Astro asked in a soft whisper, looking at her sideways.

Cora laughed. "Yeah, and you ran down to ZOG all excited, like you'd found this huge hidden treasure. I thought you were crazy when you kept running toward it even after I told you it was long dead. I had…no idea that you could…you know…"

Astro smiled, not needing her to finish her sentence. "Yeah," he said softly. "Do you know what was going through my head when I found it?"

"No. What?"

"'She would flip if she knew I could carry it.'"

Cora bursted out laughing, rolling around slightly on the already-long-flattened-grass. "Seriously? That's what you were thinking? Showoff."

"Yeah, well," Astro sighed. "You would have been worth impressing."

Cora stayed quiet for a moment, silently touched by his words. "Then I would have known you were a robot," she pointed out softly.

"Which is why I didn't do it," Astro sighed again, closing his eyes. "Now I kind of wished I did. Have you ever wondered? What would have happened if I had told you?"

Cora had, in fact, wondered about this. "I think it would have ended up the same," she murmured, looking at him sideways, locking her eyes with his soft brown ones. "I mean, Hamegg would find out, or already knew by that point, and probably would have zapped you the moment we got back. If I didn't flip out or faint first, that is."

"You never guessed then?" he asked sincerely, chocolate eyes reflecting the moon.

"No," Cora admitted, frowning and feeling stupid for not seeing it. "I guess I just didn't have a reason to look for the signs, so I didn't. You looked like a kid, you acted like a kid, and you said you were a kid. I didn't look any further than that."

"Yeah," Astro huffed, turning to look up at the sky. "I guess not. I wish that was all I was though. Just a kid."

Cora narrowed her eyes in disbelief. "Seriously?" she asked him. "You would give up the rocket boots, and the butt guns and the x-ray vision and who-knows-what else you've got to be human?"

"In a heartbeat," Astro said without hesitation, looking back at her. He frowned for a moment, like he was contemplating saying something.

After a moment, he did.

"Do you know how hard it is Cora?" he asked her softly.

Cora frowned. "Hard to what?"

"Be a robot," Astro said sadly, looking back up at the sky. "I looked in the mirror today, and saw what everyone else sees. Toby. Not me. Toby. I'm Toby, the _copy _of Toby. I'm not my own person. I'm just a robot that looks like Toby Tenma, my Dad's _real _son. I can never have my own looks, I'll never be able to put on another pair of shoes, I'll never be able to comb my hair, I'll never be able to take a shower, or go to the bathroom, or do _any _of those things humans can do."

He took a big breath, biting his lip. "I'll just always be a robot," he said bitterly. "A robot that my Dad uses to be his son. A robot that the city uses as a hero. Used, just like any other robot. A machine. Used…"

He trailed off for a second, pain shinning in his eyes. "Until I'm not needed anymore," he whispered. "Until I'm useless. Then I'll be thrown out, and end up here, on the Surface. Scrap metal in a pile of scrap metal and forgotten."

He took in a shaky breath, looking back at Cora. Cora felt her heart go out to him to see him on the edge of tears—if he could even cry, that is.

"I don't want that to happen, Cora," he whispered. "I'm _scared _for that to happen. It's my worst fear, next…next to losing you."

Cora felt herself make a noise halfway between a gasp and a whimper. "Astro," she managed quietly, almost at the point of tears herself at the sight of the anguish on her friends face. "I…I didn't…I didn't know. I…I never really thought how hard it must be for you. I never…oh, Astro."

They fell into a small silence, Astro staring listlessly up at the sky and Cora taking in all he had said in horror. His fears canceled out her troubles by a long shot, and she felt so selfish for being caught up just in her own feelings about him when he had to constantly worry about _that._

"If…if you makes you feel any better," she said softly after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. "_I'll _never stop wanting you. And I'll never, _ever _use you Astro. Never. You're not just a tool. Not to me."

A ghost of a smile danced across Astro's face. "It does make me feel better," he said quietly. "Thanks Cora."

"You're welcome," Cora said, smiling slightly now.

They lapsed into another small silence, but it was less sad now, friendlier. Astro stared silently up at the stars and Cora copied him, drinking in the sight of the surreal canopy of twinkling lights above her head.

She thought about what Astro had said, feeling horrible still for the obvious trouble the issue was causing him, but also curious. Toby. He'd called himself a copy of Toby, his Dad's real son.

So was Toby his real name?

She didn't think Astro would like it much if she asked, but the question would not leave her mind. After a moment, she took a big breath, turning to Astro again.

"Astro…" she started slowly. "Is Toby your…real name?"

Astro looked vaguely disturbed by the question, but he nodded quietly. "That's what my Dad calls me," he said softly. "I…don't really like it. It's _his _name, not mine."

"So you prefer Astro?" Cora asked.

Astro nodded. "Yeah. Way more."

Cora smiled slightly. "Good."

Astro raised an eyebrow. "Good what?"

"Good that you like Astro better," Cora said. "It suits you more."

Astro laughed, the light heartedness returning between them. "You think?"

"I don't think," Cora said slyly, turning back to look at the sky. "I know."

They smiled up at the stars together, happy once again now that the hard topic was over. After a moment, Astro sighed.

"So I heard your parents adopted Zane and all the others," he said.

Cora was surprised that he already knew, but she nodded. "Yeah," she sighed. "They did. I don't mind much, I like having them there. I mean, I really haven't had time to get used to it, but I don't mind it so far. I'm sure I will, later. It's not all of them though. Most chose to stay with Hamegg, because we can only fit so many people and most like it on the Surface anyway. I mean, they lived there their entire life."

There was a slight wistful note in her voice. Astro gave her a strange look. "Do _you _wish you stayed there?" he asked.

"No!" Cora exclaimed too quickly. Then she sighed. "Well, sort of. I mean, Hamegg isn't really in charge now, now that he's lost his rep with the Robot Games…" Astro made a grunting noise at this. "And from what they told me they have a great plan of how things are going to be run now. I don't mind the Surface, I think I would like it…but then again, I love my parents and I like the city too."

Astro thought about this for a moment. "I don't think I would mind it either,' he admitted. "If it weren't for Hamegg."

"He's not _that _bad," Cora said, rolling her eyes.

"He tried to kill me Cora."

"You're a robot."

"That shouldn't change anything. He still tried to kill me."

Cora sighed, closing her eyes. "No, I guess not," she said. "But you know where he got his thinking from. You're a very powerful robot. He builds very powerful robots to compete in the games. You wandered straight to him. Naturally, he wanted to use you."

"A lot of people want to use me," Astro murmured quietly, looking back up at the stars. Cora automatically regretted her words. She hadn't meant it that way.

Wisely, she shut up.

They stared at the sky for a while longer, both not knowing quite what to talk about now, and neither one wanting to bring up parts of the previous conversation.

In the end, it was Astro who broke the silence. "The stars are really pretty out here," he observed quietly.

"Yeah," Cora agreed, smiling up at the sparkling expanse of lights, millions of light years away. It was breath taking, even more surreal than Metro City had looked from way up in the sky. "It's amazing how clear they are. I've never been able to see them so well."

"We're far enough away from the city that its lights don't distort them," Astro explained. "Before too, when the city was floating, it probably distorted them for you, but now that it's not, you can see them as clear as ever."

"Yeah," Cora agreed, drinking in the beautiful sight even more now that Astro had explained it to her. If he was right—which she had a feeling he was, she had never seen the stars like this in all her years on the Surface—then this would an once-in-a-lifetime deal.

"We could touch them, you know," Astro said softly. "The stars."

Cora laughed quietly. "Yeah, I guess," she said. "Except for the fact that I can't breathe in space."

"Yeah, except for that," Astro agreed, sighing almost longingly. "I don't know if I can. Maybe. I'll have to ask my Dad, or just try it. If I can, maybe I can find a way for you to breathe and we can go sometime. Take a trip amongst the stars."

Cora smiled, closing her eyes. "I would like that," she whispered.

"Me too."

They lay there in silence for a little while, lying there with neither one really wanting to get up, but knowing that it was near the time to. Cora had no idea what time it was, but she had a feeling it was pretty late. She didn't even want to _think _about how frantic her mother was right now if she had discovered her disappearance yet.

Astro seemed to be having similar thoughts. "Shall we take one last flight?" he offered quietly.

Cora didn't want to leave, but she nodded. "Lets," she said.

Astro smiled at her and got to his feet. Cora stayed where she was for a moment, watching his red boots come into her view, and then his hand. Slowly, she grasped it, and he gently pulled her to her feet.

"Ready?" he asked, standing still and straight with his arms out at his sides.

Cora took a big breath before positioning herself behind Astro, wrapping her arms once again around his neck.

"Ready," she breathed.

In a flash, they were off again, rocketing upwards before Cora had even registered the take off. She didn't scream this time, but she felt the urge to, the wind buffeting her face and whistling in her ears.

This time, they didn't go up into the clouds. This time, there weren't any clouds. Instead, there were stars. Cora felt her breath leave her at the sight of the twinkling light above her, still as far away as ever but now, somehow, tripled in numbers, scattered all around her, on all sides but down.

Astro leveled off and pulled into a slow soar, flying around the seemingly-endless starry sky, letting Cora take in the view. It was like magic, just as unreal and just as awe-inspiring; sparkling all around her, like glitter poured onto a black piece of construction paper, glittering and shinning for her and Astro to enjoy.

Carelessly, Astro began to flip and twirl, smiling at Cora's giggles of delight as he did so. He never wanted the flight to end. Picking a star he focused on it, flying in its direction and never taking his eyes off its sparkling brilliance. He liked doing this. Focusing on it gave him a point of reference to aim for in the sea of glittering stars. Staring at it, he wished he could fly toward it forever and disappear with Cora, flying far far away from Metro City and his worries and his troubles and everything. Go somewhere where he didn't have to worry about anything, and he could be with Cora without having to worry about anyone passing judgment on him and his robot status.

With this wishful thinking in mind, he focused on the star, letting his mind wander accordingly without ever taking his eyes off it.

Naturally, it surprised him when a flash of light ran straight over it, causing him to blink.

Cora gasped in his ear. "Did you _see _that?" she exclaimed. "A shooting star!"

Astro looked back at his star in surprise, recalling the sudden streak of light. A shooting star! He had never seen one before.

"Too bad it went by so fast," Cora sighed. "I've heard that if you wish on a shooting star, your wish will come true."

"Really?" Astro asked, his mind automatically jumping to what he had been thinking about before. A feeling of hope came over him briefly. What if he could wish his dream into a reality? Then again, it was probably all a bunch of hogwash, wishing on a star. But…it couldn't hurt to dream, could it?"

"Why don't we wait for one again?' Astro said excitedly. "Then we can both wish for something."

"Deal," Cora agreed, sounding equally excited, tightening her grip on his neck. "But we can't stay too long. My mom's probably frantic.'

"We won't," Astro said, going into a hover, his legs dangling in an upright position. Together, they watched the sky, eyes peeled.

Five minutes went by.

Ten.

Astro was starting to think one might not show up again when he saw it. A flash of light, streaking across the sky with unearthly majesticness. A shooting star. Quickly, Astro started to form his wish in his mind. Being able to fly away with Cora, away from their troubles. But at the last minute, he changed his mind, and as the star raced across his vision, he mentally said his wish, pushing his will and wishing with all his might.

_I wish that Cora and I can be together, _he thought mentally. _I wish for Cora and I to be friends forever, maybe even eventually more. I wish that no matter what happens, and despite me not being human, we can both be happy._

The thoughts had just barely managed to flash through his mind before the shooting star twinkled and disappeared in a beautiful flash of light. Astro let out a sigh, content with his wish. He realized he could have probably wished for anything. To be human, even. But deep down, he knew he wanted to be with Cora even more. Being a robot didn't matter, as long as they were friends.

Cora let out her breath in his ear. "Did you make a wish?"

Astro nodded. "Yeah. You?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "I just…hope it comes true. I really want it to."

A burning curiosity suddenly ran through Astro. What had Cora wished for?

Before he could ask her, Cora spoke. "Don't tell me what you wished for," she whispered. "If you do, it might not come true."

"Does that mean I can't know what you wished for?" Astro asked sadly, still wanting desperately to know what Cora's wish was. Was it the same as his? Did she want to be together too?

"No," Cora said firmly. "We can't risk it. I want this one to come true."

Astro sighed. "All right then," he said. "We keep them a secret. Until…hopefully…they come true."

Cora smiled. "Yes," she said. "Hopefully."

They floated in the air for a moment, taking in the canopy of stars for another few minutes. Then Cora sighed.

"We should probably head back," she said reluctantly.

"Yeah," Astro said sadly, pivoting to face the lit up city below them. "We probably should. Do you want me to fly in slowly, so we can have more time? Or do you want me to go full speed again?"

"Full speed," Cora said without hesitation.

Astro was surprised. He thought she would have wanted to take it more slowly.

"You sure?" he asked.

"Positive," she said. "When you flew like that, it was the most alive I've felt in my entire life."

A feeling of pride swelling in his chest at the truthfulness in her words, Astro grinned. "Full speed it is then," he said, and with that, he put his arms out in front of him and dove, flying so fast he thought he'd break the sound barrier. Cora screamed all the way and he couldn't help but smile.

This was the best night of his life.

They reached Cora's balcony all too soon. Carefully, Astro hovered above the overhang before slowly descending, touching down and deactivating his rocket boots. Cora let go of his neck and he felt sorry to feel her move away from him. He wanted her to hang onto him forever, the two of them flying into the sunset together like in the old movies he had seen…_Toby _had seen, he remembered bitterly.

He turned to Cora, who was smiling sadly at him.

"I guess you have to go now?" she asked softly.

"Yeah," Astro sighed. "I probably should get back. Dad's probably back from the Ministry of Science by now.'

"Will you…will you come back tomorrow?" Cora asked, the words tumbling out of her mouth. "To visit?"

Astro raised an eyebrow. "Um…will your mother approve?"

"Screw my mother," Cora said, taking a step closer to him. "I'm not going to let her take you away from me. You're my best friend, Astro."

Astro smiled. "And you're mine," he said softly.

They stood there for a minute, looking into each other's eyes.

And then Cora all of a sudden leaned in and kissed him, closing her eyes and pressing her lips against his.

Astro's eyes widened in suprised, but then closed as he kissed her back, instinctively slipping his hand into hers.

It was the most wonderful sensation he had ever felt. Her lips were soft and warm, and his tingled with her touch. He never, ever wanted it to end, and he didn't want to be the first to pull away.

After what felt like eternity, but at the same time only seconds, Cora slowly pulled away, breaking the kiss.

She smiled at him, before looking down. "So…I'll see you tomorrow?"

Astro blinked twice, dazed. "Um yeah. Tomorrow," he got out somehow.

She smiled. "See you then," she said, leaning in and giving him another peck on the cheek before turning and walking back into her room. She closed the glass door and stared out at him for a moment, before turning and leaving the room.

Astro just stood there for a long time, in shock.

Had that really just _happened?_

She had kissed him. _Actually _kissed him!

A grin spread across his face as it finally registered, eyes glinting.

She had _kissed _him!

With a sudden rush of adrenaline he turned and jumped off the balcony at a run, soaring across the city with a feeling of happiness he had never before felt in his lifetime. It was nothing compared to _anything_ Toby had felt. Opening his mouth he let out a yell of joy, zipping by buildings so fast as he did that science and the Doppler effect took over, making his cry of happiness change pitch as he flew.

She'd kissed him. She'd actually kissed him! She felt the way he did too, and she didn't care that he was a robot.

Beaming, he circled the Ministry of Science twice before he finally stopped, hovering in midair and breathing heavily.

"Thank you shooting star," he whispered, before turning in the direction of his father's penthouse and taking off into the night.

.

.

**(A/N: Yay! It's done! I've really been looking forward to writing this chapter. It's just so cute to write. For those of you who would like to know, this chapter was completely based off of the Astro Boy Theme song from the movie. Well, not completely, but the flight is, and it inspired this whole chapter. The pretty, slightly slower part in the beginning of the song is when Cora and Astro are on the balcony at the end of Chapter 3, talking, and when it starts to get a little more intense and there's that little bit of anticipation, that's when Cora's getting up on the rail and holding onto Astro. Then when there's just one note, I think on a xylophone of some sort and then just silence, is when Astro jumps off the balcony. Then the intense loud, majestic theme is them rising up at full speed and the rest is kind of self-explanatory. So yeah, that's how I came up with it. I get a lot of inspiration from music. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and don't forget to review!)**


	5. Toby

(A/N: Hello everyone! I am back! :D And with many many many thank you's! I can't believe how popular this story has become! 29 reviews, 12 alerts, 16 favs, 964 hits and 174 visitors. You guys are so awesome! I love you more than you can comprehend! Special thank you thank you thank you's to: Magicalmayhem, AnimeGirl, Renesmee5550123, crazy jaky, KaylahDemi, DinoChao, Desiree Phantom (x2), lunar locket, moviegal99 and Candy for reviewing chapter 4! I love you guys so much it hurts! Thank you times a million for reading and telling me what you thought it means the world to me. Enjoy the chapter!)

(A/N x2: Oh, and this is just a quick warning for everyone. The next chapter is really depressing and sad and is why this story is rated T. It's not anything really bad, it's just…well, depressing. I don't want to elaborate any more, because if I do, I'll be spoiling, so just fair warning to all of you. I'm probably going to cry writing it, knowing me. Enough with the A/N's though, on with the chap!)

Tenma sighed as he got out of his car, struggling to keep his weary eyes open. Stifling a yawn, he pulled out his ID as he approached the apartments front door, Orrin driving away to fly the car around back to the garage. The robot had seemed almost relieved to get the call from Tenma to bring him home. He had seemed at loss of what to do with the day off Tenma had given him in celebration of Toby's…return. Tenma hadn't been really surprised. Orrin wasn't the smartest of robots, and wasn't programmed for much else than to take orders. But having his new Toby had changed his look on robots, and he had felt like Orrin deserved a day off, whether he knew what to do with it or not.

Smiling tiredly, Tenma shown his ID at the card reader next to the door. The little blue square of technology scanned the card with a quick flash of blue light before bleeping, its little red light turning green in recognition of Tenma's ID. Next, Tenma leaned forward, putting his eye up to the retna scanner just like he had done every day since he had first gotten his job at the Ministry of Science, just a couple days after he had graduated from the Metro City College of Science and Mathematics, top of his class.

_Probably just like Toby would have, _Tenma thought sadly, his thoughts drifting painfully to his dead son. Even though he had his robot Toby now, the pain of losing the real Toby was still fresh and raw. Tenma knew he was never going to get over Toby's death. He had lost his son. There was no getting passed that.

Sighing again and forcefully moving his thoughts away from Toby, Tenma rubbed his eyes as the retna scanner finished its scan and bleeped in recognition. Automatically, the front door opened, and the tired Doctor Tenma gratefully stepped inside. He had been working three hours straight at the Ministry, trying to fix the power grids and get everything that was still offline working. Everyone's power was back, but the massive engines embedded in the ground beneath the city that kept the floating metropolis in the air were still offline, and the work involved in getting them working again was overwhelming. After three long hours of constant problem solving and working out all the kinks and equations involved in getting the city back in the air, Dr. Elfun had finally convinced him to go home, rest, and tackle the problems with a fresh mind in the morning. Reluctantly agreeing, Tenma had come home.

He yawned again, making no attempt to stifle it this time. Trudging down the hall tiredly, he made his way to the living room to check to see how Toby was doing before he went to bed.

Reaching the entrance where he had left his son three long hours ago, he entered it quietly, smiling to see Toby on the couch, watching TV peacefully. He looked up as Tenma entered, a relieved smile tugging at his lips. "Hey Dad!" he said cheerfully.

"Hello Toby," Tenma said, smiling tiredly and yawning again.

Turning off the TV, Toby shifted on the couch to look at him, frowning. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing," Tenma sighed, discarding his original thoughts of going straight to bed to come talk with his robot son. He sat down on the couch next to him, sinking into the soft plushness of the couch gratefully. "I'm just frustrated. Frustrated and tired. I can't seem to get this stupid city back in the air!"

Letting out a small grunt of frustration, he let his head rest against the back of the couch, staring dejectedly at the ceiling.

Toby didn't say anything, and after a moment Tenma looked at him, surprised at how silent he had become all of a sudden and about to ask why. But he stopped when he saw the extreme look of confusion written across his robot son's face. The little robot's forehead crinkled in bewilderment as Tenma locked eyes with him, eyes shinning with confusion.

"Back in the air?" Toby repeated slowly, his forehead still crinkled.

Tenma blinked in surprise. "Yes, Toby," he said in exasperation. "Back in the air. We've been over this already. We can't leave the city sitting on the Surface."

Toby's eyes immediately widened in horror. "The city's on the _Surface_?" he exclaimed in horror, eyes glinting with pure astonishment. "When did _that _happen?"

Tenma stared at the robot for a long moment, his own confusion starting to mount. "Toby, are you feeling all right?" he asked softly, with an edge of concern. "Did you get water in one of your circuits or something? I made your skin water proof but if some liquid got inside of you then there is no protection of your wires from that."

Toby's forehead crinkled even further as he stared at Tenma with complete and utter confusion. "Circuits?" he repeated in bewilderment. "Water proof skin? Dad, what are you _talking _about?"

Tenma narrowed his eyes slightly, peering at his creation. He studied him for a second, head cocked slightly in concentration. There was definitely something off about him, but he couldn't seem to place it. "Maybe you blew a memory circuit," he decided after a moment. "That would explain why you don't—"

But he broke off suddenly, feeling his blood turn to ice. He stared at Toby in astonishment, taking in his full appearance for the first time since he had arrived. Toby was dressed in his normal clothes, but they were torn and ragged with holes, and his two spikes were slightly off kilter, a couple hairs coming loose from the carefully gelled hairstyle.

Hairs…his Toby didn't _have _hair…

Unable to comprehend what he was seeing, Tenma felt his eyes go round, his jaw dropping slightly so that his mouth formed a dumbfounded O.

Toby gave him a weird look, looking even more confused than before. "What?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"Y-you're hair," Tenma managed to get out, his voice shaking.

"My hair?" Toby repeated, looking up at his disheveled spikes and frowning. Sighing, he nonchalantly ran his hand through them, causing them to break away from their spikes even more. "Oh, yeah, I know, it looks horrible. I'm not exactly sure what happened. I woke up in the middle of the street with a bunch of stuff on top of me."

Tenma took a shaky breath of air, not even daring to believe the thoughts running through his mind. "Y-you woke up with a bunch of stuff on top of you?" he repeated, feeling dizzy. "In the street?"

Toby nodded, forehead crinkling slightly again. "Yeah. I have no idea how I got there. I was hoping you'd be able to explain it."

Tenma blinked, his thought process slow and sluggish. "Toby…" he whispered after a second. "What is the last thing you remember?"

Toby frowned. "Before waking up in the street?"

"Yes, yes…before that."

Toby thought about it for a moment, his forehead crinkling even more in concentration. "I was in the Ministry of Science…" he said slowly after a long moment, looking passed Tenma. "You told me to stay behind where it was safe, but I snuck out to see the presentation…"

He broke off, his eyes widening as the rest of his memories suddenly struck him, horror filling his light brown eyes. Whipping his head around, he frantically locked eyes with Tenma. "President Stone put the Red Core into the Peacekeeper!" he said in a rush. "It went on a rampage and you put the shield up and I…I…" he swallowed hoarsely.

"I was stuck behind the shield…" he whispered in horror. "You couldn't open it. I was so scared, I didn't know what to do…I didn't know what was going on…then…then there was all this red, red light, everywhere! And then…then…"

"And then…what?" Tenma breathed.

Toby looked up at him, eyes shinning with bewilderment. "Then nothing," he said, sounding lost and confused. "I…I can't remember anything until I woke up today in the street. Dad…what happened? What happened to me?"

"Oh Toby," Tenma sobbed, pulling his son into an embrace as tears, big and plentiful, began to rain down from his eyes. He stroked his son's hair, feeling how it was real, how the hairs weren't fake. He savored the warmth that came off his body, real, human body heat; body heat that he didn't feel when he hugged the robot Toby. He clutched him in a death grip, pinning the poor boys arms to his sides, but Tenma didn't care. He son was alive. Alive! It was a miracle, a miracle that Tenma didn't want ever to let go of. He wanted to hold him, feel how alive his little Toby was, forever, and never, ever let go. The fear that if he did Toby would disappear somehow and leave him all over again was overwhelming.

After a good five minutes had passed, Toby gently released himself from his fathers grip. He looked up into the tearful eyes of his Dad in confusment, obviously not understanding his father's emotional reaction.

He opened his mouth, probably to ask, but before the question could leave his mouth, the sound of the front door opening and then closing interrupted him.

Both Toby and Tenma looked toward the door.

Just as the perfect robot copy of Toby, a huge smile on his face, walked into the room.

~O~

Toby's POV:

Toby Tenma stared at the boy in front of him with a mixture of bewilderment and disbelievement. In the past few moments he had been more confused than he had ever been in his entire life….but both his weird awakening and his Dad's odd behavior were suddenly forgotten as the boy entered the room.

The kid looked just like _him!_

No, not just _looked _like him. It _was _him, down to every detail. The eyes, their color, the clothes he was wearing—even his spikes were styled in the exact right position. It was like looking in a mirror.

"W-who are you?" he asked the look-alike weakly, not knowing what to think and unable to comprehend what was going on.

"Uh…" the look alike stuttered, the smile he had been wearing when he had entered the room vanishing to be replaced with one of bewilderment that mirrored Toby's own. Toby flinched in hearing that the twin didn't just look like him but _sounded _just like him too. What was going _on?_

But before he could ask, his father cut in.

"Toby…" he whispered, causing both Toby and the look alike to look at him. He looked torn and at loss of what to do, his eyes flickering between Toby and the new arrival and then back again. He opened his mouth as if to say something more, but then closed it again, looking bewildered.

"Dad…" the look alike said, taking a step closer to the coach, revealing bright red boots that Toby hadn't noticed before. "What's going on? Who's that? And why does he look just like me?" 

"_Dad?_" Toby repeated, a cross between bewilderment and anger at the look alike's words filling him. "What do you mean 'Dad'? He's _my _Dad. Who are _you_?"

The look alike turned to look at him, looking completely and utterly lost. "I'm Toby," he said softly. "Toby Tenma."

Toby felt a rush of unexpected anger explode in him. "No you're not!" he yelled at the look alike, worried that his dad wouldn't believe him and believe the look alike was the real Toby. He didn't know what was going on, and he had no idea what had happened to him, but he knew that _he _was Toby Tenma, _not _this guy. "_I'm _Toby Tenma!"

The look alike blinked. "But that's not possible," he whimpered, looking like he was halfway between crying and freaking out. "Toby's dead…right Dad?"

He looked to Toby's father, who was still looking back in forth between the two.

"Dad…" Toby whispered, determined to find out what was going on. "What's going on? Who is this guy? Why does he look just like me? What is going _on_?"

His voice cracked slightly on the last sentence, the confusion and stress he had been under ever since he had woken up in the street taking its toll. To his relief, his dad looked at him and smiled softly. "It's…kind of hard to explain, Toby…" he said slowly, eyes flickering to the look alike who was still standing there in bewilderment. "You see…we thought you were dead. We thought the Peacemaker killed you…"

"But it didn't!" Toby exclaimed. "I'm fine!"

"I-I know," Tenma said, a grin sneaking onto his face. "And you don't know how happy am I to see that you are. I am more relieved than you can ever, _ever _comprehend. But…well…when I thought you died…I was really upset…and I sort of…well, made a replacement for you…"

His eyes flickered to the look alike again and Toby followed his gaze, taking in his apparent twin again with new amazement, his father's words slowly sinking in.

"Replacement?" he whispered.

The look alike looked at him with wide, brown eyes, an upset expression dominating his face. Then his whipped around to look at Toby's father.

"Dad…" he whispered. "Is it…is it really him?"

His father nodded, a grin tugging at his features again. "Yes," he whispered. "It's him. Isn't it a miracle Toby? He's alive!"

The look alike looked back at Toby in bewilderment, clearly not sharing in Tenma's happiness. "But how?" he whispered.

"I don't know," his dad whispered, looking back at Toby, who was still trying to digest what his father had told him. "The last thing he remembers is being behind the shield with the Peacekeeper. It must have absorbed him, like it absorbed the combat robots and Stone when he put the Red Core in it to fight you! Isn't it fabulous? He's alive!"

The look alike looked back at Toby, something like jealousy and something Toby couldn't quite identify flashing through his brown eyes. The look seemed to bring Toby back to reality and he stared back at his twin, his original anger and confusion replaced with curiosity.

"Replacement…" he whispered, echoing the word his father had used. His father's explanation was starting to register inside of him and the puzzle pieces were starting to fall into place. He stared at the look alike, taking his appearance in with a more critical eye now, and noticing slight differences that he hadn't seen before. The twins' spikes were utterly perfect. Too perfect. Toby's spikes were never _that _precise. And his boots…the look alike was wearing bright red boots. Toby owned red _shoes _but not red boots, and certainly not ones that were so shinny and metallic looking…

They weren't huge differences, but they were differences all the same, and it was enough for Toby to start to realize just what this look alike of him might be.

"You're a replacement of me…" Toby said softly, locking eyes with the look alike. "A replacement that look just like me…are you…are you a robot?"

Something that Toby couldn't identify flashed through the look alike's eyes. He opened his mouth as if to respond, but then quickly closed it, looking away from Toby and focusing on his red boots.

Toby stared at him for a long moment, before looking back to his dad. "Is he?" he asked in a whisper, not daring to believe his own conclusion. "Is he a robot copy of me?"

Tenma nodded, confirming Toby's assumption. "Yes, he is," he said softly. "I made him in the light of your apparent death…I was so upset, Toby. You have no idea. When I thought I'd lost you I…I went crazy. You were all I had left after your mother died and I couldn't lose you I-I-I…I just couldn't."

He looked down, emotion shinning in his eyes. "So I made him to replace you. He has all your memories, all your features and your voice," he looked up and smiled slightly at the robot. "He's probably the most advanced robot in the world, actually."

Toby looked at the robot in awe, taking in its features. It was so…so…human! The way it stood there, shuffling its feet uncomfortably, its eyes flickering to look at him briefly before looking back down at its boots.

"It's amazing," Toby whispered. "He's so…real."

"I am real," the robot snapped suddenly, looking up at him with sudden fire in its brown eyes. "I'm not just a robot. I feel. I'm real…" it trailed off for a moment, its sudden anger replaced by a shaky hopeful look. "Right Dad?" it whispered, looking to Tenma.

Tenma opened his mouth as if to respond, but then closed it, looking away.

A flash of hurt crossed the robots face and it looked almost on the verge of tears, if that was even possible. "Dad…" it whispered. "I'm still you're son, right? You know I'm not Toby, that I'm my own person and that I'm not a normal robot, that I can feel that I'm real!" its voice cracked as it took a step closer to Toby's father. "Dad!"

But his father avoided looking at him. "Why don't you go up to your room Toby?" he suggested to Toby softly, looking troubled. "Take To—I mean, the robot with you. I need to make a phone call."

Toby nodded in slight bewilderment. "O-okay. But…aren't you going to explain what all happened? I want to know what happened! Was I really absorbed by the Peacemaker? How long have I been gone? Why is the city on the Surface? Why was everything all smashed up when I woke up? Why did I wake up in the road and not the Ministry of Science? What day is it? Where's Orrin? Do I have to go to school tomorrow?"

Tenma sighed, fatigue returning to his features. "It's late, Toby. I'll explain in the morning. Or even better, To—the robot can explain it to you. I really need to make this call. I'll talk to you in the morning, okay?"

"Okay," Toby sighed.

Tenma nodded in approvement, before reluctantly turning to the robot. "Make sure he goes to bed, will you Toby?" he said, letting the name slip without thinking. "There's some stuff I need to attend to."

"Astro," the robot said fiercely.

His father blinked in surprise. "What?"

"My name is Astro," the robot stated, crossing his arms and staring at Tenma with a look that was a cross between fierce and sad. "Astro. Not Toby."

Tenma blinked again. "Er…Astro then," he corrected himself awkwardly, looking extremely uncomfortable. Quickly, he got up from the coach and began to edge out of the room. He looked at Toby apologetically and smiled weakly. "I'll see you in the morning okay?" he said. "Sleep tight." Then he was gone.

Toby stared at where he had disappeared for a long moment before turning to look at the robot. It too was looking at the door where his father had just left, a pain that Toby himself had never felt before shinning in its brown eyes. Toby's own eyes.

"So…" he said awkwardly, not sure how to address his look alike robot. This was really weird. "We should uh…head up?"

The robot looked at him; its moments slow, like it had scarcely heard Toby. "Yeah," he mumbled after a moment. "I guess."

"Then er…" Toby said uncomfortably. "Lets go…I guess." He began to make his way towards his room, stealing a glance over his shoulder to see if the robot was following him. After a moment it did, keeping its head down and shuffling its red boots softly on the carpet.

They walked to Toby's room in complete silence, the robot never taking its eyes off the floor. Toby found the whole experience both uncomfortable and fascinating, stealing glances at the robot every few seconds, unable to comprehend how much it looked like him. It was uncanny.

They reached his room and Toby opened the door, a sudden worry that it might have changed gripping him. If he truly had been absorbed by the Peacekeeper, there was no telling how much time had passed.

To his relief, everything seemed to be just the way he had left it. His bed was made, nice and neat, by Orrin no doubt, and all his things were in the same place. He noticed a few things different, such as the photo of him and his dad was facing the wrong way, his closet door was slightly ajar, and his bottle of hair gel and his comb had been moved slightly on his dresser. But other than that, everything was the same.

Walking into the room, Toby gratefully collapsed onto his bed. He was exhausted. The walk from the street he had woken up in all the way to his fathers' penthouse had been a long one, and he had taken a back way, away from pedestrians, just to be safe. Metro City was a generally very safe city, but it had already been getting dark when Toby had awaken, and no city, no matter how safe, is completely safe after dark. Especially for a defenseless little kid.

He closed his eyes briefly before opening them again, sitting up to face the robot, which was still standing in the doorway, obviously at loss of what it was supposed to do.

"You can come in you know," Toby said, smiling goofily. "I don't bite."

Slowly, the robot walked into the room, watching Toby warily all the way, as if it wasn't sure how he would react. Toby rolled his eyes as it closed the door behind him and stood by the closet, staring down at its boots again.

"Oh c'mon, come sit on the bed," Toby said, exasperated. "Just cause you're a robot doesn't mean you need to act like I'm going to whip you or something."

A ghost of a smile played on the robots lips and it obediently came and sat on the bed next to Toby. It still avoided looking at him, bringing its knees up to its chin and hugging them quietly, but it seemed slightly more relaxed.

"So," Toby said slowly, studying the robot copy of him again. "You're the robot me, huh?"

The robot shrugged. "Yeah, guess," it mumbled.

"You don't sound too happy about that," Toby observed.

The robot looked at him. "Would _you _be happy to find out that all the memories you have of yourself is a lie, and that you aren't even human?"

"Well, no," Toby admitted, struck by the emotion in the robot boy's voice. He didn't know robots were capable of such feeling…if it was real, which it might not be. "No, I wouldn't like that."

"Then no, I'm not happy about it," the robot said, looking back at its feet again.

There was a small silence between the two of them, in which Toby looked around his room awkwardly, not knowing quite what to say, and the robot stared at his feet forlornly.

"You're really lucky, you know," the robot said after a moment.

Toby looked at it in surprise. "Huh?"

The robot looked up at him; its intense brown eyes displaying a pain that Toby didn't know his own eyes were capable of displaying. "You're really lucky," it repeated. "To be human. You don't have to worry about all the discrimination, about being judged. You don't have to worry about being loved and wanted by your father." It sighed, looking dejected. "I would give anything to be human."

Toby was at loss for words. He had never really thought about how it must be to be a robot. To him, robots had always been a convenience. Like Orrin. He was the butler and Toby's friend, sort of, who Toby liked to talk to when Orrin drove him to school each day, and occasionally rewire to get his way, if needed. Robots, to him, had always seemed simply an amazing achievement of modern technology, another invention used to keep humanity moving forward.

He never thought much about the discrimination of robots. But now that he thought about it, it was there. He thought about the video they had watched in school the other day—if it had been the other day, Toby wasn't sure. How a robot had been run over by a car, and then swept up like it was nothing. How a robot got a 'new job' as a test driver and crashed a car, exploding into millions of pieces of tech. The entire city treated robots as simple machines that could be replaced at a moments notice, not people. And really, it made sense. That's what they were. Machines. And machines could be replaced.

But this robot shed a new light on that. Toby was already, subconsciously, viewing it more like a human than he was a robot. It _looked _so human…well, because it looked like him. But it acted human, and talked like a human, and seemed to have emotions and feeling just like him. Toby had never seen that in a robot before. Orrin was the most human robot he'd ever seen before, and he didn't have a whole lot of free will of his own, simply doing his duties and taking orders.

Interested, Toby imagined himself in the robots position. It wasn't that hard, considering that the robot looked just like him. He supposed he _would _be kind of jealous of himself, being the human version of the robot, the status that it could never achieve. Humans were superior to robots, and he could see how being so human and so living but yet seen as something so low would have an effect on him.

He looked at the machine next to him carefully, ignoring its physical feature and focusing just on its body language this time. It looked so sad, curled up in a ball, staring at its feet with a forlorn expression. Even though he knew it was just a machine, Toby felt bad for it.

It. He kept calling it 'it'. It was the right name for it, that Toby knew, since he didn't think robots could technically be a 'he', but he did think they deserved names. He called Orrin "Orrin" not just "robot".

"What should I call you?" Toby asked the robot politely, not wanting to hurt its feelings. If it had any, which it seemed to say it did.

The robot looked up, surprised. "Well, my technical name is Toby, really," he said softly after a moment. "Since I was created to replace you. But…I go by Astro."

"Astro…" Toby repeated, trying out the name. It was kind of cool. "I like it. Hey…isn't that what you told Dad to call you?"

The robot—Astro—nodded. "He's always called me Toby, but I'm not Toby. I'm not you. I'm Astro."

Toby nodded, understanding the robots desire to be labeled separately—especially now that it knew that he was alive. It seemed weird, to think that people thought he was dead, especially since he had no recollection of "dying".

Astro was watching him, his—Toby might as well call him a 'he'—brown eyes, identical to Toby's, staring at him. Toby looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "What?" he asked, slightly defensively.

"Aren't you going to change?" Astro asked, a slight edge of amusement in his voice. "That doesn't look extremely comfortable."

Toby looked down at himself, surprised to find himself still in his disheveled and dirty clothing. In the light of everything that had just happened and everything that he had learned, he had forgotten all about the state he was in. "Huh," he laughed. "Guess I _should _get out of these, huh?"

"I would think you'd want to," Astro said, smirking somewhat. He looked slightly less uncomfortable now, and was actually looking up at Toby, which was something.

Smiling, Toby got off the bed and walked over to the closet, opening it up. "Hmm," he murmured to himself. "What to wear. How about—"

"The red sweatshirt with the black jeans?" Astro suggested from the bed.

Toby looked at him in astonishment. "How'd you know what I was going to say?"

Astro smiled sheepishly. "I'm you," he said simply. "I have all your memories, and an almost identical personality…and choice in wardrobe."

Toby blinked, taking the red sweatshirt and black jeans out of his closet slowly. "What do you mean '_almost_' identical?" he asked, curious.

Astro looked down again, a frown replacing his half smile. "Well, apparently we're not exactly the same. Dad got mad at me when I used the pages of one of the books he gave me to make models of da Vinci's inventions…"

Toby looked at him in horror. "You _ripped up a book_?" he exclaimed, aghast.

Astro smiled sheepishly. "See? That's what I mean. I didn't think it was that big a deal. I was just trying to test it. You…and Dad…obviously see it differently."

"Well, yeah!" Toby said, flustered. "I mean, trying it out, that's fine. But ripping up a book to do it? I would never ruin a book!"

Astro grinned slightly. "Guess our thinking patterns aren't completely identical," he said.

"Guess not," Toby mumbled, heading toward the rooms adjoining bathroom. "I'll be right back," he said. "Just gonna change real fast." He opened the door to the bathroom, but then stopped, looking back at Astro. "Then again…" he said slowly. "I _really _should actually be getting into my PJ's, since I should be going to bed and all."

Astro blinked at him. "Is that a test?" he asked. "You don't own pajamas. I always—_you _always sleep in your clothes."

Toby grinned widely. This was so cool! "It _was _a test," he confirmed. "And you passed. You really _do _have all my memories, don't you?"

Astro nodded, looking down at his boots again. "Yeah," he mumbled.

"I'll be right back," Toby informed him, before slipping into the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

As he stripped off his demolished clothing and pulled on the fresh ones, Toby reflected on his new counterpart. At first, he wasn't really sure what to think about him. I mean, it was not every day you woke up in the middle of the street and came home to find that you were thought dead and your father has made a robot replacement of you that looks, talks and thinks just like you. But the robot was beginning to grow on him. He had a feeling it had something do with how alike they were, him being the robot copy of himself, that is. He didn't think he'd mind having a robot twin that understood him. Especially since his Dad really didn't.

Sighing as his zipped up his jeans, Toby thoughts drifted to his father. He loved his father dearly, and was extremely proud of how successful he was. How couldn't he, he was a genius! But he still wished that he were there for him more. He was always away, at the Ministry, and he hardly was ever there to talk with Toby in person. He usually talked to him as a hologram, if he remembered to check in on him at all.

He had a feeling that the robot version of him—Astro, he reminded himself—probably had a similar, if not worse, experience with his father as he had. From the expression of hurt and pain Astro had worn when his father had ignored him and then ordered him up to take care of Toby like he was nothing more than a piece of scrap metal earlier, probably worse.

Finishing getting dressed, Toby gathered up his ruined clothes and walked out of the bathroom, careful to mask his thoughts so the robot couldn't tell what he had been thinking. But when he came out, the robot was nowhere in sight. Worried that he might have left, Toby looked around frantically, relieved to spot him over by the window, which was now wide open.

He opened his mouth to ask him what he was doing, but stopped when he noticed Astro was _talking _with someone. Or something. Toby couldn't tell. Soundlessly, he carelessly threw his clothes on the floor and crawled onto the bed, craning his neck to see who Astro was talking to.

His eyes widened in surprise to see two cleaner robots floating outside of the window, a squeegee bottle and a window wiper. They kept bobbing up and down in the air, making small beeping noises at Astro. And Astro was talking to them. Clearly, he could understand their beeping noises. Fascinated, Toby inched closer, straining his ears to hear Astro's hushed words.

"Well, yeah, it did come as a bit of a shock."

Beeps.

"No, I didn't know. How could I have known?" 

More beeps.

"I'm not sure."

More beeps, for a longer period of time this time.

"What _can_ I do? He's the _real _one."

Beeps.

"I…I guess not. Well, I still can protect the city…but I guess they can replace me in doing that too."

Beeps.

"No, not really. I guess I'll just have to wait and see and…I don't know, go from there."

Beeps.

"I don't know. I mean, he's basically me. It's really kind of weird though. I have all his memories…but this is the first time I've actually met him."

Toby felt his blood run cold. They were talking about _him!_

Beeps, slightly higher pitched now.

"He's _what_?"

Suddenly, Astro whipped his head around, eyes widening as he caught sight of Toby. "Agh!" he yelped in surprise, losing his balance on the windowsill and leaning dangerously backwards…

Toby shrieked as Astro fell out of the window from his surprise, rushing over to the window to see…

Astro hovering.

In midair.

With _fire coming out of his feet._

Toby felt his eyes go round, jaw dropping slightly.

The two cleaner robots beeped again, before taking off, away from the building. "Um, bye then," Astro said to them, rising slightly so he was now level with Toby's window.

Toby simply stared at Astro's feet in astonishment. "You have _rocket boots_?" he exclaimed in awe.

"Um, sort of," Astro said. "My boots can project jets of fire, but well…my boots are sort of part of me."

"That's so cool…" Toby whispered, aghast.

Astro smiled. "I guess," he said modestly.

Toby looked up at him, eyes glistening with excitement. "What else can you do?"

"Um, I don't really know…" Astro replied, sort of sheepishly.

Toby blinked. "What do you _mean _you don't know? You mean you don't know how to work _yourself_?"

"Dad never really told me what all I can do," Astro admitted, looking down. "I just know a few things that I figured out on my own."

"Like what?" Toby asked, eyes still wide. "Can you show me?"

"Um…yeah…" Astro said. "I guess…" Looking like he didn't know quite what he was doing, he extended his arm, pointing it to his right. His forehead crinkled slightly in concentration, obviously willing his arm to do something. Toby watched it intensively, dying to know what it was going to do.

But after a minute, Toby was really starting to doubt if his arm actually seriously did anything. But just as he was about to ask, Astro's arm began to change.

With a small whirring sound, Astro's arm morphed from a child-like arm and hand into a large, slick, silver cylinder, glowing with blue energy.

Toby instantly knew what it was.

"A _laser cannon?_" he exclaimed in disbelievement. "You're arm can turn into a _laser cannon?"_

"Um, yeah, I guess," Astro said, pulling his arm back to his side, where it instantly began to change back to normal.

Toby stared at it in amazement. "What _else _can you do?" 

"Um, well, I have machine guns in my butt."

Toby gave him a weird look. "Machine guns? In your _butt?_"

Astro smiled faintly. "Apparently," he laughed.

"That is so cool," Toby breathed. "How…how do you work? I mean, what powers do you have? What lets you do all that? I've never seen a robot that can do _any _of that…"

Astro sighed, looking troubled. "I can…explain it to you," he said slowly. "Sort of. What I know anyway. But it's complicated." He paused. "Do you mind if I come back in?"

"Oh, yeah, of course," Toby said, hurriedly backing away from the window.

Astro easily flew back into the room, pivoting in midair and bending down at the waist to carefully close the window behind him. Then he slowly began to descend until he was only a foot or so above the ground, where his feet suddenly shut off, the fire suddenly disappearing and his boots reverting back into feet before Toby's eyes. Toby stared at them in fascination. That. Was. So. Cool.

But Astro didn't seem very fazed. In fact, he looked tired. Sighing, he took his place back on Toby's bed, crossing his legs Indian style this time.

Slightly dazed, Toby followed him, sitting back on the bed and mirroring his counterpart's actions.

"Tell me," he said eagerly. "How do you work?"

The robot sighed again, closing his eyes briefly. "Do you remember what the Blue Core is?" he asked softly.

Toby raised an eyebrow, not expecting this. "Uh yeah. That's the blue orb that Dr. Elfun was presenting, right? The one from the asteroid?"

Astro nodded. "Right. Do you remember what it does?"

Toby thought back to what he had heard Dr. Elfun say. "Isn't it pure positive energy or something?"

Astro smiled slightly. "Exactly. Pure positive energy…and very very powerful…I'm pretty sure."

Toby narrowed his eyes, starting to catch on. "No way…" he whispered. "No _way_. Don't tell me you're powered by the _Blue Core_!"

Astro looked down, grinning slightly. "Yeah," he said softly.

Toby's eyes grew round. "Can I see?"

Astro looked up, suddenly uncomfortable. "Um…I don't know…" he said slowly.

Toby gave him a look. "C'mon," he said. "Plleeasse?"

Astro sighed. "Fine."

Toby watched in fascination as Astro carefully pulled up his shirt, revealing a smooth, unblemished chest. Carefully, he pressed down on it, and Toby gasped as a chest hatch revealed itself to them. Sticking his finger nails under the hatch, Astro slowly opened it.

Toby felt his breath leave him.

It was magnificent. A glowing, magical blue orb, shinning amongst the jumble of wires in Astro's chest. It was unbelievable…Toby realized he hadn't really actually believed Astro was a robot until he saw it, and the wires that held it in place. He seemed so…human that it was almost hard to believe. But he did now.

And he had a very very strong urge to touch the Core.

"Can I touch it?" he asked Astro quietly.

Astro looked vaguely disturbed by this. "Um…I don't think that's a very good idea…"

"Oh c'mon," Toby rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you or anything. I'm you, remember?"

Astro sighed. "I guess. Just…be careful, okay? That's the only thing that keeps me alive."

"I will," Toby said carelessly, extending his arm, mesmerized, toward the glowing blue Core. Astro made no move to stop him, though he didn't look too happy about it.

Slowly, Toby put his hand on the Core.

And instantly felt a rush of happiness run up him. It felt so…wonderful! It was unbelievable. Toby had never felt anything like it. It was like all the greatest feelings he had ever felt, all wrapped into one…and even then, better.

He wanted to hold it…

Without thinking about it, he began to pull the Core out of Astro.

Immediately, Astro began to pull away from him. "What are you doing?" he exclaimed.

"I just want to hold it for a second," Toby murmured, pulling at it harder.

"No!" Astro yelled.

But Toby had already pulled it free.

Immediately, Astro's eyes began to droop. "No…" he murmured faintly, starting to lean backwards. "Give it…back…"

Then his eyes closed and he slumped against Toby's pillows, lifeless.

Toby stared at him for a moment; fascinated at how different he looked when he was off. He simply looked like he was sleeping, but so lifeless compared to how he was a moment ago, his chest hatch still wide open, leaving the jumble of wires and empty opening for the Core still exposed.

Toby smiled, feeling slightly bad for turning Astro off like that, but not horrible. He was just…curious. He wanted to examine the Core…and Astro. He was Bill Tenma's son, he couldn't help it. He _had _to explore. Besides, it was just a robot. Once Toby put the Core back in, it'd be just fine.

Toby looked at the glowing Blue Core in his hand, savoring the wonderful feeling it was still bringing him. He turned it around in his hands, examining it in fascination. It was like nothing he had ever seen, and questions on it were already beginning to form in his scientific mind. How does it work? Where did the asteroid it came from come from? Another planet? Was there more of it? Was it the reason that Astro could act so human like?

The questions kept mounting, but no matter how long he stared at it, Toby could not deduce any answers from the unearthly glowing Core. Disappointed, he realized he would just have to settle for the amazing feeling it gave him for now.

Carefully, and a little reluctantly, Toby put the Core aside, placing it gingerly down on the bedspread and surrounding it with folds of the blanket so that it wouldn't roll away when he moved. Then he began to crawl toward Astro, his curiosity of seeing how the little robot worked never wavering.

Approaching his counterpart, Toby started his inspection with the simple stuff. First, he closed Astro's chest hatch, which disappeared from sight without even a seam as evidence of it being there. Toby watched this happen in fascination, before moving on in his inspection. Curling his hand into a small fist, he lightly rapped on Astro's chest. As expected, he got a metallic reverberating sound, suggesting that indeed, Astro was made of metal and also hollow, which Toby figured he must be, to fit the Core and all his other electronic parts to make him work as efficiently as he did.

Next, he went on to inspect the rest of Astro's outside features. Probing his robot double's hair, Toby found his original observation to be correct. Astro's hair was indeed fake and metallic, which was why his spikes had been so absolutely perfect. His skin, on the other hand, Toby wasn't able to quite figure out. It felt really real, but held no heat like a normal human. He made a mental note to ask his father how he had managed that.

After a couple minutes of thoroughly exploring Astro, Toby reluctantly had to stop. He knew if he continued his observations any farther inside Astro then what he could see inside his chest hatch, he risked accidentally damaging him. With a robot as advanced as this one seemed to be, Toby wanted to take no chances in accidentally crossing any wires or bumping something out of place.

Upset that he could glean no more from his twin but also fascinated by the information he had accumulated, Toby once again picked up the Blue Core. He sat there with it in his hands for a moment, savoring the indescribable feeling it brought him. Then he reluctantly pressed his hand gently on Astro's chest, reopened the hatch, and carefully placed the glowing blue orb back into the robots chest.

Immediately, Astro's eyes began to flicker open as blue energy began to run up and down his once-inactive wires. He blinked twice, his eyes glowing a slight blue that matched the Core before reverting back to Toby's brown irises.

It seemed to take him a moment to register Toby's presence.

But when he did, his passive expression immediately changed to one of anger and hurt.

"What was that for?" he exclaimed, backing away from Toby slightly and closing his chest hatch protectively.

Toby blinked, surprised by his strong reaction. "Sorry," he said, though he wasn't. "I didn't know it was that big of a deal. It's not like I _hurt _you or anything."

"Well, well…" Astro spluttered, looking extremely flustered. "You shut me off!" 

Toby shrugged, still not quite understanding why Astro was so upset by his actions. "I just wanted to hold it," he defended himself nonchalantly. "And I put it right back in when I was done with it. I don't see the big deal."

Astro blinked twice, staring at him with a weird look that Toby couldn't quite decipher. "The Blue Core is like my _heart_," he said softly after a long moment. "Would _you _like it if someone you just met just randomly yanked out your heart and killed you momentarily, even if by some miracle all they had to do was put it back in to make you alive again?"

Toby stared at Astro in surprise. He hadn't thought about it that way. "No," he admitted softly.

"Then don't do it to me," Astro said, somewhat fiercely. "I know you're used to robots where you can simply rewire them to do what you want without repercussions because they're robots. But _I'm _not a normal robot. I wasn't built to serve humans; I was built to _be_ a human. _You. _I don't take orders, I am not owned by anyone, and most of all I am not _used. _I might be a robot, but I'm not going to _act _like one and do your every will, okay?"

The defensiveness and edge of anger in his voice startled Toby. He nodded in understanding, mentally changing his original assessment on his robot counterpart. Apparently, the robot had more free will of his own than Toby had originally guessed. Toby wasn't sure, but from what Astro had just said, he doubted that his robot twin followed the Rules of Robotics.

Toby wasn't sure if he was okay with that or not quite yet.

After a moment, Astro seemed to calm down, moving his hand away from where he had been protectively covering his chest and returning to his quiet position Indian style on the bed. He avoided looking at Toby, staring out the window instead, and Toby could tell that any bit of trust he had managed to form between him and the copy of him had disappeared. But at the moment, he didn't really care. His eyelids were starting to droop with tiredness, and he knew he should really be getting to bed soon. He had no idea how late it was, but he had a feeling it was now well past midnight.

But he couldn't go to bed yet. Not before he knew what all had happened in the period of time between when he had been absorbed by the Peacekeeper and when he had woken up this afternoon, in the street.

And there was one thing Toby also knew for sure: the robot before him knew all of it.

Stifling a yawn, Toby focused all his willpower to keep his eyes open. Staring at Astro, he opened his mouth to ask his question.

But before he could, Astro sighed.

"I know what you're going to ask," he said softly. "What happened between the time you supposedly died and today."

Toby closed his mouth abruptly, surprised. "Yeah," he said after a moment. "How'd you know?"

Astro laughed. "It's what I would have asked," he said. "Frankly, I'm surprised you haven't asked already."

Toby smiled. "Okay then, other me," he said. "Tell me."

Astro raised an eyebrow. "Please?"

Toby sighed. "Please."

Astro smiled somewhat. "That's better," he murmured. "I can only tell you what I know, so there might be some…gaps. But I'll try to explain it as best I can…and as quickly as I can, since you already look like you're going to pass out right now."

Toby quickly snapped his head up, struggling to keep his eyes open. "I'm not tired!" he protested.

Astro rolled his eyes. "Sure you aren't," he said, smirking somewhat.

Toby sighed. "Okay, so I'm a little tired. Can you just tell me what happened now?"

Astro sighed again before nodding. "Okay," he said softly. "I'll start where _my _memories separate from _your _memories. The first thing I remembered was waking up in the Ministry of Science, on a busted up lab table. At the time, I had no idea what was going on. I was kind of…discombobulated."

Toby raised an eyebrow. "Well," he reasoned slowly. "You had probably just been created. You hadn't really ever walked or talked or any of that before."

Astro shook his head. "No, I guess not. But I didn't know that then. I still thought I was you. Anyway, Dad was there, and before I could do much, he was hugging me and he had picked me up and started to carry me away. I remember him bringing me home and putting me in bed, and then I guess I fell asleep."

Toby thought about this slowly, taking it all in. "So," he said. "In summary, Dad thought I died, and he was really upset, so he made you, a robot copy of me, and put all my memories into you, and then brought you home without telling you that you weren't actually me."

Astro nodded. "Basically, yeah," he said. "Which leads to what happened next. I thought I was you. But when I didn't…act just like you, Dad was kind of upset. I couldn't figure out what wrong…I didn't know what the sudden difference was. It wasn't until I fell out of the window that I started to realize things weren't exactly as they seemed."

Toby raised an eyebrow in surprised. "Fell out of a window?" he repeated. "You actually, literally, fell out of a _window_?"

"Er, yeah," Astro said. "That's how I found out I could fly. And run really fast…and dig myself through solid rock…and turn my eyes into search lights."

Toby gave him a look. "So…basically, that's when you found out you were a robot."

But Astro shook his head. "Not…exactly. I think, deep down, I knew, but I didn't want to admit it to myself. I just…I don't know, I guess I wasn't really thinking about the why, I was just caught up in the coolness of at all, and how I had to show Dad all these amazing things I could do."

Toby frowned. "So you went and showed Dad," he said inferred.

Astro looked down. "Yeah," he mumbled.

"I…take it that didn't go too well."

Astro shook his head. "He…he was talking to Dr. Elfun…about shutting me off. And, I don't know, I guess I was just confused and upset, and I didn't understand why he was talking about me like that. And then…then…"

He broke off for a moment, taking a big breath, obvious pain shinning in his brown eyes. "He told me I was a robot," he whispered. "How I wasn't you, that I was a copy of you and he didn't…want me anymore."

The last couple words came out sort of chocked, and Astro had to stop to get control of himself.

Toby just stared at him in disbelievement. "He actually said that?" he whispered.

Astro nodded, taking another huge breath. "So I left," he said. "I didn't know what else to do. I had no idea where I was going. I…I don't know, I was upset and…and I just found out I wasn't human, and it had just sort of donned on me, so I think I might have been in shock." He sighed. "Anyway, that's where things got sort of complicated. For me anyway. President Stone found me somehow, and he wanted the Blue Core, so he chased me across the city and then shot me with this giant ship and—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," Toby stopped him. "Slow down. President Stone _shot _you?"

"With a giant ship," Astro said, nodding. "He…oh, never mind. Anyway, I must have passed out or something because the next thing I remember I was on the Surface on top of this giant junk heap."

Toby gaped at him in astonishment. "You mean you ended up on the _Surface_?" he exclaimed in disbelief.

Astro nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Though it's really not that bad. There's a lot of junk, sure, but it's nice sometimes."

Toby shook his head in disbelievement. He had never even _thought _about the Surface, let alone contemplate the idea of ending up on it.

"So I was on the Surface," Astro continued. "And all these old discarded robots were attacking me, trying to get my batteries, and then I fell in this hole that a trashcan robot led me into, and I was found by a group of kids scavenging for spare parts."

"Wait a moment," Toby interrupted again, aghast. "You mean people actually _live _on the Surface?"

Astro nodded. "Yeah."

Toby shook his head in wonder. "Unbelievable…I didn't know that."

Astro shrugged. "Neither did I. Anyway, they found me, and they didn't know I was a robot…so I sort played along with it, and told them I was a human. I was going to tell them that I was a robot eventually!" he rushed, as Toby made a face. "Just…not right away. I wanted them to get use to me first. They were really nice, and they brought me back to their home, this orphanage run by a guy named Hamegg, and he took me in and I got to know everybody and I became really great friends with everybody…especially Cora."

At the mention of the name, Astro's eyes suddenly became far off and dreamy. "She was so…nice to me. And unlike anyone I had ever met. Spunky and barbed tongued, but yet so gentle and kind…it was wonderful. Being there, in the orphanage with her and everyone else, was the best time of my life. I felt like I actually _belonged _for the first time since Dad kicked me out."

He sighed, the far off look slowly disappearing as his small smile vanished. "I should have known it wouldn't last," he continued bitterly. "Hamegg figured it out. I don't know how long he knew, but he knew."

Toby narrowed his eyes, confused. "Knew?" he asked. "What do you mean 'knew'?"

Astro looked at him with a small frown. "That I was a robot," he said dully.

"Oh," Toby said, feeling dumb.

Astro sighed. "So anyway, Hamegg runs—well, ran, he doesn't anymore as far as I know, but at the time he did—this sort of…tournament, called the Robot Games. Competitors all build aggressive robots and then pit them to fight to the death together in an arena. So naturally…when he found out that _I _was a robot…"

"He threw you in," Toby finished for him in horror. "Yikes."

Astro nodded. "Yeah," he sighed. "But that really wasn't the worst part for me. He exposed me as a robot and Cora…" he swallowed. "She…didn't take it well. She wouldn't look at me, the entire time." His voice cracked somewhat as he said this and he stopped for a moment again.

Toby studied his expression carefully, noting his robot double's obvious pain at this girl's, Cora's, reaction in finding out he was a robot. Putting this next to the far off, dreamy-type look Astro had gotten when he had mentioned her before, Toby began to put two and two together…and the picture it was forming was quite shocking, at least to him.

Was it possible that this robot was in _love _with a human?

The idea seemed impossible to Toby, who had never even considered robots being capable of such an emotion. But this girl, Cora, Toby had never met before, of that he was sure. He had no recollection of the name, and besides, Astro had already mentioned that she was from the Surface, and Toby had never once set foot there.

But if Toby had never met her…and if Astro was programmed _only _to be a copy of him…

Then it wasn't possible that Astro could be programmed to fall in love with Cora.

The idea was shocking, but Toby could not come to any other conclusion as he studied the emotions shinning in his counterpart's eyes. Astro was in love with this girl Cora…and not just programmed to be.

Suddenly, Astro sighed again, causing Toby to be roughly brought back to reality. He decided it was best not to mention his observations to Astro but keep it to himself until he had even further evidence. Keeping his mouth shut, he waited for Astro to continue.

"Anyway," the robot continued. "I was stuck in the arena with a robot trying to kill me that I didn't want to fight, and there was some sort of barrier preventing me from leaving. So I was forced to fight it and several others and well…I don't know. Dad gave me a lot of weapons, so I was winning…and that made Hamegg pretty mad."

He closed his eyes briefly. "I was messing up his games, so he got angry, and started zapping me with some sort of…taser type thing, that temporarily immobilized me. I'm not exactly sure what it was, but it hurt. But in doing that, he made ZOG mad and—"

"Wait a moment," Toby stopped him in hearing the unknown name. "Who's ZOG?"

"Oh," Astro smiled a little. "He's a construction robot that fell to the Surface a long while ago. I recharged him with the Core, and he's sort of…loyal to me."

Toby blinked. "All righty then…"

"So ZOG got mad," Astro continued. "And he was going to crush Hamegg, so I stopped him, because I didn't want to hurt anyone, but then President Stone and the other ships from the city landed, and a bunch a troops came out with the President and grabbed me."

"They wanted the Core," Toby inferred.

Astro nodded. "Exactly," he sighed. "So I let them take me. At that point, I didn't see the point in struggling." He frowned, his eyes getting distant again. "It's not like it really mattered, anyway," he murmured.

Toby studied his glazed look, guessing that he was once again referring to the girl, Cora. He was so obviously in love with her that it was almost scary.

After a moment, Astro shook himself out of his daydream. "Anyway, they took me and brought me to the Ministry, and Dad took the Core out of me," he said.

Toby raised an eyebrow. "He took it _out_?" he echoed. "Why aren't you dead then?"

Astro sighed. "I don't really know," he said. "Dad put it back in. I think he just had a sudden change in heart, because when I woke up again, he hugged me and told me to get out of there, that he didn't care that I wasn't you, I was still his son and he…loved me." He smiled somewhat at the memory, clearly happy with what his father had said.

"Okay…" Toby said. "So what next?"

"Well," Astro sighed. "Then President Stone went a little nuts and put the Red Core in the Peacekeeper again, and it absorbed him and went berserk trying to find me and kill me. I couldn't just let it destroy the city so I went back and fought it, and I…well, I sort of…died."

Toby blinked. "Died?"

Astro made a face. "Do you remember Dr. Elfun mentioning that the Core's can't come together at all costs?"

Toby nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, I realized the only way I could stop this thing was to destroy the Red Core. So I…flew right into it…and in the process killed both the Red Core and the Blue."

"Which killed you," Toby finished for him. "And the Peacekeeper. Wow."

Astro shrugged. "It was worth it," he said. "Right there and right then, I knew _that _was what I was created for. That had been my purpose. Now…" he sighed. "Now, I don't know." He paused for a moment, a look of slight pain quickly dancing across his features before disappearing as he continued. "The next thing I knew, I woke up in a valley. Apparently ZOG-you know, the robot I recharged? He recharged the Blue Core with some of the energy I gave him, and brought me back to life. Dad…made up with me, I guess you can say, and Cora…" a smile crept its way onto his face at this. "Cora found her parents, who live in the city. She lives in Metro City now, in an apartment building downtown."

He smiled for a second, before looking down and focusing on his boots again.

Toby stared at him. "That's it?" he asked.

Astro nodded. "That's it."

"Wow…" Toby murmured, taking the flow of information in. "So that means…when you destroyed the Peacekeeper, I must have been released…which was why I woke up in the street!"

Astro nodded again. "Yeah I guess," he said. "It makes sense. The whole thing with the Robot Games and the Peacekeeper all happened today…" he trailed off for a second, glancing at the clock which read 2:35 AM. "I mean yesterday," he corrected himself quickly.

Toby's eyes widened. "That all happened in _one day_?" he exclaimed.

Astro nodded. "Yeah."

Toby shook his head in amazement. "That's a lot of stuff to happen to someone in one day," he murmured.

Astro sighed, looking out the window. "Believe me," he said softly. "I know."

They sat in silence for a little while, Astro staring out the window and Toby staring at him, unable to contain his fascination for the highly advanced robot.

After a while, Astro looked at him.

"You should probably get to bed," he suggested slowly. "It's really late, and Dad did tell you to get some sleep.'

Toby frowned. "I'm not tired," he said defiantly, but even as he said it, he could feel his eyelids drooping.

Astro smirked at him. "Sure you aren't," he said sarcastically. "Go to bed Toby."

Toby sighed, reluctantly slipping off the bed to unmake it. "Fine," he mumbled.

Astro laughed as he too slid off it, helping Toby undo the covers.

Toby watched him carefully. "Are you going to sleep at all?" he asked.

"Me?" Astro asked. "Probably not. I don't really need to…at least, I don't think I do. I'm not tired. I'll probably just sit by the window, if that's okay with you."

Toby nodded. "That's fine," he yawned, crawling into the bed and pulling the covers up over him as his he struggled to keep his eyes open.

Astro smiled at him sadly for a moment, before walking over to the far wall and shutting the lights off with a small click of the switch. Toby heard the soft patter of his red boots on the carpet as he walked over to the window, and then silence.

"Good night Astro," Toby whispered on impulse into the darkness.

There was a pause, then: "Good night…Toby."

Toby smiled, and then he drifted off to sleep.

.

.

(A/N: Yay, it's finished! Okay couple notes on this chapter. You don't have to read them if you don't want to, it's just some stuff that explains my thinking on this chap, since it's a major one in the story.

I had one major goal for this chapter, and a bunch of sub-goals. My major goal was simply this: introduce Toby. Since Toby is going to be a major character in this story, and because the plot basically revolves around his return, I needed to analyze and be able to portray his character well, not just try and sort of get him right. So I took the few scenes we saw of him in the movie and sort of gathered my evidence of his personality from it. Here is my thinking:

Toby is a genius. We can see that pretty clearly in the movie, in the scene of him in school where he totally aces the pop quiz he's given in seconds. Plus he's Bill Tenma's son, he's bound to be a genius too.

Toby is pretty conceited and boastful, also apparent from how he happily hands in the quiz, boasts about how he finished it so fast, and then walks out. Part of this, I think, is due to his superior intellect at such a young age, and he feels he should flaunt it because he's good at it and doesn't know better. (Since I estimated Toby to be around ten or so.)

He sees robots as a convenience that he sort of takes for granted. He doesn't hate them, quite the contrary; he loves them and is fascinated by them, but doesn't see them as equals to humans, especially in intellect, though he is nice to them regardless. I came to this conclusion from the scene where Orrin picks Toby up from school. Toby is fairly nice to Orrin, and says hi and talks with him like a person, not just like "Take me home, robot." Though he also rewires him without a second thought, which was where I got my "still doesn't see them as equal to humans" part of it.

Toby is still somewhat neglected by his Dad. Tenma talks with Toby only as a hologram in the movie, because, I'm assuming, he doesn't want to take the time off from his precious work at the Ministry to come talk and spend time with his son in person. So I inferred from that that Toby harbors some feelings of neglect from his father like Astro, just not to the same extent as Astro, who had it worse.

So, in summary, I see, from how Toby was portrayed in the movie, Toby as a young kid, around ten, who is extremely smart for his age and not afraid to show it, has a respect and fascination with robots but doesn't see them like humans or equals to humans and has no qualms in doing what he pleases with them, loves his Dad but feels slightly left in the dust by him, and is still young and happy and fairly innocent, without too many troubles that have come his way.

So yeah, that's how I got Toby's personality, also playing off of a few of Astro's traits as well to fill in the blanks, since Astro is basically Toby, just slightly different in personality (such as shown in the scene where Astro rips up the book to make the model airplanes.) Astro has also been through harder times and matured more than Toby from that, and is a robot and is different in expression and experience because of this. I tried to incorporate all of this into the chapter and capture Toby, his character and personality, and how I believe, from all this, he would react to Astro and vice versa, all in one. I hope you guys agree with my assessments, and if you don't please tell me why, I would love to know!

Okay, that takes care of Toby. Now here are the sub-goals. Sorry this is long, but this was a long chapter, and I feel like this all needs to be addressed. Here we go:

First of all, I wanted to do the discovery of Toby being alive from Tenma's POV. Since Tenma's POV won't be coming up a lot in this story, I felt like this moment should be from his, since it's his son that he was so torn up about dying that he is just discovering is by some miracle alive, and I wanted to capture his reaction and his emotional response to the discovery.

I wanted the rest of the chapter to be from Toby's POV, since I wanted, as I said above, to introduce him to the story, though I also strongly had the urge to do it from Astro's. Chapter 6 will be from Astro's POV though, and will have a lot of his thoughts from the events of this chapter.

I wanted to incorporate Toby's assessments of Astro. First, his original assessments of Astro's personality, and then how they changed the more the two talked (i.e first, Toby sees Astro as simply him in robot form. Then he sees Astro is more complex than that, and has been through more than meets the eye, which is shown when Astro talks about how lucky Toby is to be human, his strong reaction to the Core being taken out, and so on.)

I also wanted Toby to observe Astro's obvious feelings for Cora, since Cora's relationship with Astro will come up later, and Toby will also eventually, (okay, this is a spoiler everyone) meet Cora. So I wanted Toby to see Astro's feelings for her, and incorporate his reaction into finding out that his robot counterpart might actually be in love with someone, an action that is outside his programming.

I also wanted Toby to see Astro's obvious discomfort and sadness of being once again pretty much rejected by his father (i.e Tenma not looking at him, ignoring him, ordering him around, calling him 'the robot', Astro's strong reaction to being called Toby. The hurt look in his eyes. The discomfort he shows through his body language while he and Toby are alone.)

And last, I wanted to do a quick mention of Toby's mother, and how the pain of losing Toby for Tenma connected with the pain of losing his wife, since in this story I am having it that Mrs. Tenma passed away sometime before, either in childbirth or from something else. I haven't decided on something specific and probably won't, since it isn't relevant to the story so I'll leave it up to you on what you want her history to be. But since it was clear in the movie that Mrs. Tenma is not present, I wanted to show a little bit of Tenma's pain in losing her and then the pain of losing Toby on top of that.

So yeah, that's all that I really wanted to incorporate into this chapter, and I'm sorry that this took so long to explain, but I really went deep into thought with this chapter and I wanted you guys to understand my thinking. So thanks for bearing with me and thank you times a million for reading! You guys are awesome! Peace out and happy reading!

-Mermaid. )


	6. Lifeless

**(A/N: So so so sorry I haven't updated in forever! I know you guys have been anxious and I'm so so so so very very sorry. I have been so busy that it's crazy! I'm doing two sports—soccer and volleyball—at once, and between games and practices with that, plus all my homework and everything else that comes with school, and all the other school activities I'm in, I've hardly had time to breath, let alone write! So my sincere apologies for giving you this chapter so late. Hopefully, it will make up for the long wait. (Heh, that rhymes!)**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you to my lovely lovely reviewers though! Oh my gosh you guys are so awesome! 67 reviews! SIXTY-SEVEN! I am truly blown guys, truly. I didn't even expect ten reviews on this. Seriously, I didn't. Now, I'm (crossing my fingers?) hoping that I might actually break a hundred on this! :O That. Would. Make. My. LIFE! :D Thank you thank you thank you to:**

**The pandabread, three1996, wispillia, PhantomPassion11, anonymous, Okumura Rin, CreatedInFyre7, Heather, starwarrior4ever, c4k3, Astroboy2009, DD, nova, The Last Letter, Hypersensitivity, Evil Unicorn Overlord(love your username), NJ009, Sesshomaruslover, Dragonballer281, KaylahDemi, GTOman25, Magicalmayhem, crazy jaky, Desiree Phantom, moviegal99, Renesmee5550123, DinoChao, lunar locket, candy, B, GirlyGirl95, anon, me and D. YOU GUYS RULE!**

**Annnnnddd a special super thank you to ANIMEGIRL! Man, you just keep reviewing girl! I'm so in love with you! You reviewed… (counts reviews) …11 times! o.O Thank you so so much I am so honored that you like my story that much. Your reviews kept updating this in the front of my mind through all my craziness and I really really hope this chapter is satisfying to you. THANK YOU!**

**And now…for chapter notes! Heh, heh…sorry. I know this is a long authors note and you just want to get to the good stuff. Feel free to skip over all this if you wish, it's fine. I just wanted to give you guys some notes I feel you guys should know.**

**This chapter. Oh boy, this chapter. This…this was really hard to write for me. Well, it was wasn't so bad writing it because I was caught up in it, but reading through it once I was finished…I have to admit I was tearing up. I am way too evil sometimes. Anyway, I just thought I should let you guys know that this chapter is one of the reasons I moved the rating of this story up to T. For one, it's pretty depressing, and for two, the theme of it is…slightly more of an older theme. Not horrible, but still…plus, there will be some intense violence in later chapters and upon reflection of the storyline I've been working on, it needed to be T. So yeah, that's that. On another note, I have some GOOD NEWS! Yes, dear fans, I have written a chapter-by-chapter outline of this story! (cheers) Well…almost. It's not quite finished. I have it outlined through chapter 23 (it has turned out much longer than expected…). But then I hit a bump. A bump that is called a minor case of writers block. (NOOOO!) It's not a horrible case, but it's one of those: I know where I need to go…I just don't know how to GET there! cases. It is really quite irksome and I'm very annoyed. But I'll find a way through…eventually. I have to say too, I am extremely excited! Just a week or so ago, I was listening to the Astro Boy Theme by John Ottman on my iPod and this fantastic idea just HIT ME! So I incorporated it into the story, amongst a couple other really cool ideas I came up with and well…I don't want to be braggy but I personally think it's going to be pretty epic. :D So stay tuned lovely readers! I will not disappoint!**

Okay! Finally! Sorry that took so long! Thanks again everybody! Enjoy the chapter! Mermaid out!)

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Astro sat on the windowsill, looking out on the quiet, serene view of the city. All was calm and peaceful outside, but he himself was not.

His mind was whirling, his thoughts jumbled and disordered, tumbling through his brain at a rapid pace. His face was passive and emotionless but he was trembling lightly. Taking a shuddering breath he closed his eyes and hugged his knees tightly to his chest. He felt like he was going to cry. If he was human, he was positive he already would be crying.

Why? _Why? _Why did this have to happen to him? Why did Toby have to come back? Things had been so good. No, better than good. They had been wonderful. Perfect, even. His Dad had accepted him for who and what he was. Stone was gone, the city was safe, and everyone loved him. He was a hero! And Cora. Cora, she had kissed him! Actually kissed him! She didn't care he was a robot and she had kissed him.

But now, now all that seemed like a world away. Everything had changed and Astro felt like his whole world had been knocked off its hinges.

Just like last time.

Last time. Astro took in a shaky breath as all the memories came rushing back to him. How he had fallen out of the window, this very window, and found that he was no longer the boy he thought he was. He could fly, he could drill his way through solid rock, he was faster than a train—he wasn't normal. At the time, it had been cool. Now, Astro would give anything in the world to be normal. To be human.

And then he had come home. The memory of the look his father had given him when he returned that night would forever be etched into his brain and forever haunt him.

_"You're not Toby. You're a copy of Toby and I don't…want you anymore."_

The words were like a knife in his heart. Just thinking about them made him gasp for breath and squeeze his eyes shut as if to prevent tears he knew deep down would never physically be able to come. He wasn't wanted. He wasn't needed. He was just a copy, an imperfect copy of the original that was only here, on this earth, to serve its purpose and then be thrown out like a piece of trash. That's all he was good for.

No. No! He couldn't allow himself to think like that. His father loved him. He was sure of it. His Dad had _promised_. He had promised that no matter what happened, Astro would always be his son and he would always love him, robot or no. Toby's reappearance wouldn't change that. It couldn't change that.

But still he had to be sure. The pain, the doubt and the turmoil that had been running through him since that fateful moment when he had walked into the living room to see Toby on the couch was too much. He had to know for sure that his dad still loved him and wanted him. Because if not he…he wasn't really sure what he was going to do.

Taking a huge breath, Astro quietly got to his feet. As softly as possible, he slowly opened the window, glancing back at Toby as he did to make sure he didn't wake up. He didn't and Astro pushed the window open, gasping slightly as the cool breeze touched his face. He stared at Toby for a long moment, biting his lip. He looked so peaceful and angelic as he slept. So careless, so free. How he wished he could be like that again. How he wished _he _could have no worries, no pains. But he couldn't.

"You don't know how lucky you are," he whispered quietly to his sleeping twins form, holding the frame of the window sadly for support.

He stared at him for a long moment, unidentifiable feeling running through his robotic frame before turning and jumping out of the window, closing his eyes and letting himself fall. He savored the feel of the wind that met him. It felt so wonderful and freeing, like flying but not like flying. It was the exact opposite of flying and it too captivated him.

He let himself be gripped by the strong hands of gravity for a long moment, savoring the sensation of falling for as long as he could before finally giving in and activating his rocket boots.

Immediately, the feeling of falling left him to be replaced by the familiar but still thrilling sensation of flying. It filled the pit of his stomach and spread throughout his very frame, chills racing up and down his arms and legs as jets of fire propelled him upwards with frightening speed. It was fantastic and Astro knew he should be feeling that sense of calm and joy he always felt when he flew. That feeling of freeness and wonder that was better than any other sensation in the world.

But he didn't.

He didn't, and he knew why. That feeling had been stripped of him now. He was too upset, too at loss of what to do in the sudden turn of events that was rocking his world to be able to enjoy his ability to defy gravity. It had momentarily lost its thrill amongst the worry, hurt and mix of emotions that plagued him. The joy of flying could not penetrate the iron grip of despair that held him.

Emotions that he could not begin to identify flowing through him, Astro pulled himself into a hover, letting his feet dangle and the jets of fire that kept him afloat to point towards the ground many, many feet below him. Slowly, he turned to face his father's penthouse. His home.

It didn't look any different. Unlike everything, it seemed, in his life, it hadn't changed. It was the same house he had come home to that very day. Before his whole world had come crashing down around his ears.

Movement caught his eye through one of the windows and Astro enhanced his sight unintentionally, his breaths coming out in quick gasps as he saw an all too familiar figure in a white coat through the tinted glass.

All time seemed to freeze and Astro knew that he was looking at the man that was going to decide his fate. It all rested in his father's hands, and they both knew it. Toby was alive, and Tenma was the one who would have to decide what to do with his creation as a result.

The thought terrified Astro but he knew it to be true. He had to know. He had to know what his father wanted to become of him.

He was shaking now, rather violently, becoming slightly off balance as he swayed. Closing his eyes, he quickly composed himself, taking a giant breath and curling his hands into determined fists, digging his fingernails into his palm. Slowly, he opened his eyes, a determined look shinning in them. Collecting all the courage he could muster, he set his jaw. He would stay strong. At least until he knew.

Using all of his willpower not to lose it, Astro forced himself to fly over to the window.

And there he was. Bill Tenma. The greatest scientist of the age, sitting on the living room coach, phone in hand. His father. The sight almost sent Astro over the edge but he kept a grip on himself, hovering silently outside of his father's line of sight, hidden by the furniture placement in the room but yet able to see his dad's every movement. He watched him as he held the phone to his ear, mouth moving rapidly but no sound reaching his ears.

He didn't want to. He didn't want to extend his hearing. He didn't want to hear what his dad was saying. He knew, he knew who he was talking about. He could feel it. He didn't know how he knew, but he could feel that his father was talking about him. The knowledge sent surges of dread through him, but he knew what he had to do. Taking in a giant breath of the fresh night air, Astro extended his robotic hearing.

And the conversation came rushing at him like a train at full speed.

"—I don't know what to do," Tenma was saying into the phone, voice matching the troubled look on his sharp features. "What can I do? Toby's alive! It's wonderful! But…"

"But you can't just leave him!" A familiar voice said on the other end. Astro blinked dully. Dr. Elefun. "He's your son too!"

"I-I know, but he's…well, he's a robot, Elefun," Tenma said, clutching the phone as if for support. "I know he's very wonderful and can do amazing things, but that doesn't change what he _is. _Or what he was created to _do. _I created him to be Toby. But I have Toby back now. I…I don't…I don't really…well, _need _him anymore."

Each word threatened to send Astro over the edge. Each syllable was a blow to all the confidence he had managed to summon to keep himself from losing it completely. "No…" he whispered, touching the glass of the window with his hand lightly, his warm breath causing it to fog slightly. "Dad, please, no…"

"Tenma!" Dr. Elefun's voice was filled with horror. "What are you _saying_? Of course you need him! And he needs you! He's your son!"

"But he isn't!" Tenma's voice rose a level as his movements suddenly became wild. "He isn't my son Elefun! I say he is and treat him as so, and we all try to treat him like a human but he isn't! Don't you see? It doesn't _matter _what he feels like because he isn't _real! _All that matters is what _I _think and what _I _feel because I am the human here and he is the creation!"

"I can't believe you're saying this," Elefun said, clearly aghast. "You created him and you loved him. He saved us all Tenma! You can't throw him away like a piece of useless trash!"

"I can and I will," Tenma said firmly, though his voice was shaking slightly. "I've made my decision and you can't change it."

"Then why did you call me?"

Tenma obviously hadn't expected this. "I…" he spluttered. "Well, I…"

"You don't fool me Bill," Elefun said, causing Tenma to flinch slightly at being addressed by his first name. "You still love him. But you've somehow convinced yourself that you can't have both Toby and Astro. And my question is why? Why can't you have both?"

"It's not like that," Tenma growled, obviously at loss of how to defend himself. "You don't understand!"

"Don't I?" Elefun's voice was calm and even. "I think I understand perfectly well. And I think you know it, Tenma."

"I…I…" The scientist hesitated for a moment, lip quivering as his eyes became distant, as if looking out at something only he could see. Astro held his breath, realizing that this was it. _Please, _he whispered silently. _Please Dad, please…_

Tenma's eyes sparkled with pain for a long moment as he stared out the window unseeingly. A look that resembled remorse flashed through them and Astro felt a small flame of hope.

But then Tenma's eyes became hard.

"I'm turning him off and that's final!" He shouted into the phone, anger overtaking him and canceling out his uncertainty. "I don't know why I called you! Good night Elefun!"

And then he hung up the phone, slamming the device down on the table and collapsing onto the couch, head in his hands.

It was like he had been stabbed in the gut. Astro felt himself flinch, pain sparkling in his chocolate brown eyes, reflecting in the light of the moon. Slowly, his hand slipped from the window, falling so that it dangled listlessly at his side.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to throw up. He wanted to die, right there and then. But he couldn't take his eyes away, couldn't look away from the form of his creator before him. His father. His Dad's words, his father's very own words that he had spoken to Astro what felt like centuries before, echoed over and over in his head.

"_I know you aren't human, but you're still my son, and I love you. No matter how anyone talks about you, and not matter how I talk about you and your capabilities, you're still my son, robot or no. Don't ever think that I love you any less just because you're a robot."_

"_You promise?"_

"_Promise."_

A small sob escaped him at the memory and he began to shake violently, still unable to tear his gaze away.

"You promised…" he whispered faintly.

And then he was falling. Down, down, eyes closed, encased in blackness. It was too much, too much for him. He couldn't take it. He could feel the wind against his skin as he fell, pressing against his chest, chocking him. He sensed the ground approaching and for a split second wondered what would happen if he just let himself hit it. Splat, the end.

But he knew that wouldn't work. He was a robot. He was too strong for that. His father made him too strong for that. With a cry at the last moment Astro activated his boots and rocketed skywards, his whole body shaking uncontrollably and sobs escaping his lips with no more energy left to suppress them.

He kept going, up, up, up, through the clouds, through the stars, with no sense of anything else, sniffling and chocking on his sobs, eyes stinging as if they were at the point of tears, although he knew that he would never actually cry. Because he couldn't. Because he was a robot. A useless robot. Unwanted. Not needed.

He wasn't sure if that thought was really what made him snap. He thought it was probably the combination of everything; the stress, the pain, the sense of betrayal, the hurt. But in that moment, he felt his whole world hitting the ground in shards of glass, tingling and bouncing as if in slow motion all around him. For a pregnant moment he simply stared into nothingness, face lit up by the light of the brilliant full moon. It was beautiful. Gorgeous even. So pretty, so serene and calming. The same moon that he and Cora had stared at just hours before, laughing and flying amongst the stars. It had been one of the best moments of his entire life. Now…now it was one of the worst.

The shaking was beyond control now. His entire body was vibrating, and he was sobbing and chocking every other second, face lifted up toward the moon. With a sudden cry he let loose, letting go of any part of him left that was trying to suppress the pain. He screamed at the top of his lungs, yelling at the moon, at his life, at his father, at the city, at the people, at the entire world. His hands curled into fists and he threw his shoulders back, eyes closed, screaming out his pain, his frustration, his abandonment and his betrayal.

He wasn't sure how long he stayed there, screaming at the moon millions of light years away. He wasn't sure if he really cared. But when he finally stopped he found he could yell no more, limbs heavy and weighed with fatigue as he hovered limply in the air.

No thoughts ran through his mind. He was vaguely aware that he was descending, but even that was a dull realization. He felt dead, listless, beyond anyone's touch or consolation. He was unfeeling, nerveless, numb. His life was over. His Dad had abandoned him. He didn't want him anymore. He had Toby back now, he didn't need Astro. No one needed Astro. No one needs a robot without a purpose, without a job. He's too human, too real. He is the in between. Not robot, not human. He could never fit in either community. He can never fit in with the other robots because he isn't a normal robot. He doesn't follow the Laws of Robotics and he is much, much more advanced than all of them. Much more human. But yet, he can never fit in with the humans either because he isn't human. He has no real mother and father. He has no heart, no bones, no cells, no brain. He is simply a machine, metallic parts and gears put together to serve a purpose and nothing else. He could never be a human. He would always be the in between.

Some dull part of him registered a collision. His ears registered a boom, loud and echoing, although it seemed far away to him, as if from another world. His limbs could feel metal, solid objects moving around him, and some part of him realized that he was sliding down some sort of incline. He didn't move and simply let himself slide, not caring in the slightest where he was. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Not anymore.

After a minute, although it could have been decades, Astro became aware that he had stopped moving.

He didn't want to do it. He didn't want to open his eyes and see.

But he did.

Slowly, listlessly, his eyes flickered open and he saw the scene around him. With dull eyes he recognized the familiar sight of discarded robotic parts and trash, scattered around the base of one of the many junk piles that surrounded him.

The Surface.

A sound that he hadn't thought he was capable of producing leaving his lips, Astro painfully sat up, digging his palms into the gritty, unsanitary dirt of the waste yard. His red boots were sprawled out in front of him on his short legs, shinning like blood in the light of the moon, taunting him. With a sudden rage Astro wanted to rip them off and send them hurtling into space, but he resisted, pulling them up to his chest instead and hugging them, lip quivering as sudden emotion washed over him.

With a small chocking noise Astro lifted his eyes towards the sky, brown eyes sparkling with pain and hurt as he stared up at the moon with his knees to his chest, rocking back and forth like a hurt child. In a rush his numbness was broken and all the emotions he had been feeling since the return of Toby broke forth, running through him like the course of a mighty river, taking him over and holding him hostage.

Why? _Why? _ Why did all this have to happen to him? Why did life _hate_ him so much? Everything had been so perfect…and now it was all just a memory, like a clip from someone else's life. Happiness that he would never again experience.

Was that his destiny? Was that was he was doomed to have happen to him, again and again and again? To get his hopes up and have his whole life seem like a fairytale, a wonderland, a dream, just to have it come all crashing down all around him?

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair! Why did the world _hate _him?

Shivering slightly, Astro took in a shaky breath. It was like being kicked out all over again. His dad didn't want him. He had Toby back; he didn't want a robot replacement anymore. He wasn't needed. He was never needed, not really. Who was he kidding? He was never Toby. He was never even close to Toby. And now Toby was back, and he had taken his rightful place as Tenma's son. His place, not Astro's.

He wasn't needed.

He wasn't wanted.

He has no purpose. Toby had taken his purpose. Astro could no longer be his father's son because he had Toby back now. Being his son had been his purpose. That, and protecting the city, was his destiny. It hadn't changed. But now, now part of it had been ripped away, fulfilled by another, more worthy person. Toby. No, Astro didn't have a purpose anymore. He could easily be replaced by another, more powerful robot as city hero, and he knew it, oh how he knew it. He was a robot. A piece of technology. And what happens to technology? It evolves. It upgrades and becomes more and more powerful, more and more efficient and more and more advanced.

Who was he kidding? He would become outdated eventually. Tenma could easily make another, more powerful robot to replace him.

Who was he kidding? His father doesn't need him. He was planning on shutting him off anyway. He has Toby back and he was going to throw Astro away like some useless piece of junk. He isn't needed. He isn't wanted.

Who was he kidding? He and Cora could never be together. How could she date a robot, a being without real feelings, a person who would forever stay the same while she grew up to be mature and beautiful? She deserved better than him. Besides, her mother had hated him anyway. She would never allow them to be together.

Who was he kidding? He was just a robot, not a human. Just some worthless piece of scrap metal that was thrown together by a grieving father to replace his son temporarily before being thrown out, never to be thought of or cared about again. That's all he was. That's all he is.

He isn't needed.

He isn't wanted.

So why does he even bother to live at all?

The thought burned in his mind, running through his brain, refusing to be suppressed. _Why, why, why why… _Why did he bother to live? His life was gone, taken by another. His father had abandoned him and he was just kidding himself if he really believed he could find somewhere else to fit in. He didn't have a purpose any longer. He didn't have a reason to live.

So why was he?

_Tenma was going to kill him anyway._

Why does he bother going on?

_Cora never really loved him. She loved Toby, because that's who he was created to be, that's who he looked like. She never actually loved him._

He has nothing left to live for.

_Easily replaced by another robot. _

There's nothing more the world has to offer him.

Toby's alive…back to take his rightful place instead of Astro…

Not needed.

Not wanted.

With a shaky breath Astro looked down at his chest, covered in the shirt of his counterpart. With numb hands he carefully grabbed the edges of Toby's shirt and slowly took it off, revealing the smooth, unblemished chest of his robotic body.

He stared at it, breath quickening slightly with a mixture of fear and anticipation at what he was contemplating doing.

Could he really do it? Could he really leave this world?

He knew he could. There was nothing left for him on this earth that was worth living for anymore.

Except one thing.

Cora.

Could he really leave her? Could he really do something like that to her? He knew she would be distraught. It pained him to even think about leaving her. He loved her. Of that, he was totally and utterly sure. He loved her with every inch of his being and never wanted to do anything that would cause her pain.

But at the same time, he knew it was for the best. All he would ever do is bring her pain. No matter how much he tried to be worthy of her, he knew he never would be. He was a robot. He wasn't human. He didn't deserve someone like her and he would never be able to have her, not in today's society, not with the amount of robot discrimination that there was going around. Not…not when his own father wanted him dead. No, all he would ever to do her would be to bring about trouble and pain for her. Leaving her…leaving her was for the best.

"I'm sorry Cora," he whispered up into the clouds, eyes half shut as his hand snaked up toward the hidden hatch that led to the one thing that kept him tied to this realm of being. "I'm sorry I wasn't good enough for you."

And then, before he could change his mind, he pressed down on his chest hatch and exposed the Blue Core.

It was just like it had always been. Glowing an unearthly light blue, spinning in his chest amongst his many wire and circuits, faithfully keeping his body running, just like it had from the very first time he had opened his eyes into the world.

And now…now it would be the last thing he saw as his eyes closed for the last time.

With a big, shuddering breath, Astro placed a shaking hand around the Core.

"Good bye…" he whispered lightly, his soft voice echoing quietly in the deserted wasteland.

And then with a hard yank he ripped the Core out of his chest.

With a gasp he felt himself grow weak, breath becoming short as he began to slump against the wall of parts behind him, limbs becoming stiff as all feeling began to leave them.

His eyes fluttered lightly as they began to close, cutting him off from the lights of the world.

As his eyelids became heavy, his light brown eyes fixed on the moon, shinning with its radiant white light above him, like a beacon, beckoning him to join it.

It was the last thing he saw, the Blue Core slipping from his grasp, before he fell amongst the mounds of garbage…

Lifeless.

**(A/N: Oh boy...don't kill me! I'm sorry! It was a plot bunny!**

**...(opens eyes, checks that she's still alive, sighs in releif) phew, okay. Um...yeah...I...have a quick announcement? So yeah, I made a cover for this story using an editor program that is pretty much off of this chapter, since it's a real major one in the story. I posted it on deviantart if you guys want to take a look at it. **

**Fanfiction has disabled links so here is my dA profile name: dmgorman. **

**Please look it up and comment through PM's and/or reviews! I really appreciate the feedback! Thanks a lot guys! You're all epically awesome! Mermaid out!)**


	7. Changes

**(A/N: Heeyyy guys…uh, yeah, I'm alive…? Sorry this took so long, it really shouldn't have, my schedule just sort of exploded again. Good news is, volleyball and Science Olympaid is over, and my last Soccer game is Monday! So I'll (hopefully) have a little more writing time! Yay! Ahem, so yeah, anyway, this is sort of a filler chapter. I know it's not what you guys really want since it's all from Toby's POV and doesn't have Astro in it and I know you guys really want to know what is going to happen to him but you're gonna have to wait because I am EVIL! MWHAHAHA! (cough) …okay. So yeah, this is mostly Toby's thoughts and feelings on readjusting to the changes in his life now that Astro has come in and everything that happened has happened. Yep. Please enjoy!**

**And special thank you thank you thank you's (you guys know the drill) to: Gooby09, TeleeRocker, Define Me, GirlyGirl95, YoungAuthor403, RainbowFactory, ThePandaBread, Renesmee5550123, starwarrior4ever, ., Harry. Potter. Is. BOSS, GTOman25, Magicalmayhem, moviegal99, lunar locket, Tarume, Desiree Phantom, crazy jaky, MegsayLupin, AstroGirl101 and Evil Unicorn Overlord.**

**Thanks to you guys, I have 91 reviews! NINETY-ONE! O.O I'm still freaking out! That's…that's…24 reviews on chapter 6 alone! YIKES! Just nine more reviews and I'll be at a HUNDERED! OMG! If that happens, I'm probably going to be doing a mad happy dance around my room and go screaming to my poor, unsuspecting parents. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! ENJOY!)**

**Toby's POV:**

Toby awoke to the dimly lit interior of his room, blinking in the soft light that was filtering through his window. A light breeze ran through his sleep-tussled hair, surprising him.

Where was that coming from?

With a sleep-filled yawn, he forced himself into a sitting position, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he glanced at the window.

To his surprise, he found it open, the light breeze he had felt drifting lazily through the open space, chilling his exposed skin.

Toby frowned slightly. _That's funny, _he thought. _I could have sworn it had been closed last night after Astro—_

Astro.

In a rush the events of yesterday came flooding back to him. The Peacekeeper, him dying, his father, Astro—

Astro. Where was he?

"Astro?" Toby asked softly, swinging his legs around and gingerly brushing his bare feet against the soft fibers of the carpet.

There was no response.

With a small grunt Toby got out of bed and made his way toward the open window, placing both hands on the frame and sticking his face out into the cool morning air. He closed his eyes briefly, savoring the feeling of the wind through his hair, before opening them and scanning the slowly waking city before him.

"Astro?" he called again, louder this time. "Hey Astro, you out there?"

Again there was no response.

After a moment of waiting, Toby pulled himself away, gently closing the window as he did, ceasing the pleasant breeze from blowing.

_He probably just went out for a while, _he decided as he stretched his stiff muscles, letting out a stray yawn. Rubbing his eyes lightly he walked over to his dresser.

He laughed at his appearance. His hair was in disarray, strands of brown black hair falling out of his gelled hairdo and into his soft brown eyes. What was left of his two signature spikes were tussled and off-kilter from sleep and made him look more like a blood-sucking monster out of ancient mythology than a civilized modern citizen of Metro City.

Smiling slightly, Toby happily picked up his gel bottle and poured a large dollop onto his palm. Rubbing the substance onto both hands, he ran it expertly through his hair, destroying what was left of yesterday's spikes. Placing the gel bottle down gently he then picked up his comb and ran it through his gelled hair, evenly distributing the product.

Finally, he put the comb down next to the gel and attacked his hair with his hands, gleefully separating the hair into two handfuls and forming them into the two spikes that he would be able to form in his sleep.

When he was done he smiled at his reflection in the mirror, putting his hands on his hips and lifting his chin. "Not bad, if I do say so myself," he said regally, before letting his hands drop to his side.

Figuring it was about time he headed downstairs he quickly threw on a pair of fresh jeans and another t-shirt before zipping up his red sweatshirt over it. Heading towards the door he reached out to grab his hat—

Except his hat wasn't there.

Toby stared at the hook his Ministry of Science hat usually hung from in surprise. That was funny. It had always been there before.

He stared at the empty hook for a long moment, before shrugging and continuing his way out the door. Maybe he had just left it somewhere, or Orrin had picked it up and placed it somewhere. No use fretting over it.

Humming happily, Toby took the steps downstairs two at a time, a smile on his face. Reaching the landing he jumped over the last three steps, landing on the soft carpet with a muffled thud. Straightening his sweatshirt and checking to make sure his spikes were still holding their shape; he made his way toward the living room.

He slowed as he reached it, wondering if his father was home or not. If he was home, he might be working, and if he was working, Toby should probably leave him alone. If he was home and wasn't working, then Toby could say hi to him, and if he wasn't home at all, he either had to find Orrin and ask if he could go out and wander, or find something to amuse himself with for a while. He knew the rules for every situation, though usually the latter was the norm, much to Toby's disappointment and boredom.

Biting his lip and wondering what outcome would be today's outcome, Toby poked his head around the corner.

To his surprise he saw his father sitting at his holo-computer, typing furiously and looking at a large complex graph on the screen. Toby immediately recognized it to be associated with quantum physics and robotics, and concluded that his father must be working. Quietly, he began to back out of the room, deciding it was best to leave him alone with his work.

But just as he was leaving, Tenma turned around to grab his holo-pad, causing his eyes to fall upon his retreating son.

Much to Toby's surprise, his father's eyes lit up with joy and a smile materialized on his face. Toby had expected him to ask him to leave him alone, but his presence in the room seemed to have brought on the exact opposite reaction.

"Toby!" his Dad exclaimed happily, rising from his seat and making his way over to his son, practically beaming. He hugged the rather stunned Toby fondly, before letting go and kneeling down so that his face was at his son's level.

"How are you?" he asked softly, eyes shinning. "Did you have a good night's rest? Are you feeling well?"

"Uh, yeah," Toby said, surprised by his Dad's overally fond behavior. He had never acted so outright…fatherly like this to him before. It was kind of weird. "I slept okay I guess."

"Good, good," Tenma said distantly, still smiling and staring lovingly into Toby's eyes. "I'm glad. Would you like some breakfast? Orrin's making pancakes and bacon right now. He says that's your favorite. It is, right?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah it is," Toby said, still rather befuddled by his Dad's strange behavior but not unhappy with it. Actually, he rather liked it.

"Wonderful!" Tenma said almost too brightly, standing. "Lets go!"

Toby stared at him, aghast. "Y-you're…you're going to eat breakfast with me?" he asked, appalled. His father had _never _eaten breakfast with him before.

If his father noticed his surprise, he didn't show it. "Yes, I am," he said. "Actually, I'm going to take the day off work today. I think a break now and then isn't a bad thing, don't you?" 

"Uh, yeah, sure," Toby said, still shocked. His Dad was taking a day of _work? _Tenma had never taken a day off work in his _life_. He had even gone to work the day he was throwing up every five minutes from food poisoning. And now he had suddenly decided to take a day off? Just for a _break_?

It didn't add up. Toby vaguely wondered if this had something to do with his 'return', but he didn't push it. If it was about that, which he pretty sure it was, then not mentioning his supposed 'death' was probably a good idea.

The two of them made their way to the dining room, Tenma still overly and almost scarily happy. When they reached it, Tenma politely opened the door for him, beaming, and Toby entered, eyes going wide at the sight that met his gaze.

The large table in the center of the room was laden with heaped dishes of scrambled eggs, blueberry, chocolate chip and traditional pancakes, bacon, omelets, hash browns, toast, and almost any breakfast food you could possibly imagine. Drinks of all sorts were scattered across the table in various pitchers and the two sets of plates and silverware laid out for them were barley visible amongst the assortment of dishes.

"Good morning Master Toby," Orrin greeted him as he entered, wheeling over to Toby's seat and pulling out his chair. "Please, take a seat."

"Uh, mornin' Orrin," Toby said, still slightly overwhelmed as he made his way over to his seat in a daze. "You uh…you made all this? For me?"

Orrin nodded sheepishly.

"Wow," Toby breathed sincerely. "It looks fantastic." 

"Oh, it was nothing, Master Toby," Orrin said, rather flustered by his praise. "It was the least I could do to celebrate your return!" He smiled at Toby, before becoming quickly flustered again. "Oh dear, I forgot the butter!" he yelped, quickly exiting the room and racing towards the kitchen to retrieve the forgotten food.

Toby laughed, smiling and getting over his initial surprise as he helped himself to the food. Taking a bite of a pancake, he grinned at the taste. As always, Orrin's cooking was impeccable.

"You like it?" Tenma asked, having seated himself next to Toby and helped himself to some eggs.

"Yeah," Toby said through a mouthful of pancakes. "It's really good!"

"Good, good, I'm glad," Tenma said, still smiling as he poured himself some orange juice.

The two of them ate in silence for a while, Tenma glancing at Toby every so often repetitively. After a couple of these frequent glances, Toby started to become uncomfortable. He understood that his father was happy that he was alive, and he was happy that his father was so delighted that he was all right, but he still felt uncomfortable with the unusual amount of attention he was getting. It was almost abnormal, but he told himself it was only a temporary thing. His Dad was just happy he was alive.

As he shook some pepper onto his eggs, Toby found his mind drifting back to Astro. Frowning slightly, he wondered why he wasn't back yet. Surely he would like some of this breakfast too? Then again, he was a robot, he probably didn't need it, but still, if he could eat, Toby was sure he would enjoy it.

He couldn't have been gone long, could he? Where was he? Running an errand maybe? 

He knew it was probably not a good idea to ask Tenma, but he was too curious to know where his robot counterpart had gone not to ask. Slowly, Toby turned to look at his Dad.

"Dad," he started slowly. "Where's Astro?"

At the question the smile that Tenma had been wearing began to slip, replaced by a much more forced, troubled smile. "Oh," he said, looking away from Toby. "Don't worry about him, Toby. He's none of your concern."

"What do you mean?" Toby asked, confused by his fathers' answer. "Where is he?"

Tenma swallowed roughly, biting his lip in an uncomfortable manner, his bright smile vanishing completely now. "Oh he's just…out and about," he said; laughing in a forced, fake manner.

Toby's eyes narrowed slightly. "Dad…" he said slowly. "You do know where he is, right?" 

"Huh?" Tenma said, looking troubled. "Oh…um…"

He sighed, looking defeated. "Okay, okay," he said dejectedly. "I…don't really know where Astro is."

Toby's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

Tenma sighed, closing his eyes. "Astro…disappeared last night," he explained slowly. "I'm not sure when. All I know is that I came up to check on you around three or so in the morning, and he was gone. The window was open, so I guess he must have just flown out. He hasn't returned yet, at least not that I know of."

Toby frowned, confused. Why would Astro leave without telling him? Or his father? Was something wrong? Had something happened? "Do you know why he left?" he asked, concerned for his robot twin. He didn't know him well, but he did know that Astro was a really awesome, powerful robot and could do a lot of damage if controlled by someone with bad motives.

Tenma bit his lip again, looking extremely conflicted. "I don't know for sure," he said. "But I…I think I know why."

Toby looked at him intently. "Why?" he asked. "Can you tell me?"

His father looked at him, his tired eyes meeting Toby's brown ones. He sighed again, a sudden fatigue pulling at his features. "Toby…" he started. "What you need to understand is…Astro is just a copy of you. A robot copy of you and an imperfect one too. He is programmed to be a human though, and therefore acts and supposedly feels like one too. So…when you returned…I think…I think Astro couldn't handle there being another him and felt over shadowed by you, because he is just your copy. So he left."

Toby blinked, struggling to take in this new information. "You…you think he left because of me?" he asked, not really sure what to make of this.

Tenma sighed. "Well, yes and no," he said. "Not because of just _you _per se, but because of the idea of you being here as my real son instead of him."

"Oh," Toby said, a rush of guilt running through him. He hadn't meant to make Astro leave. "Where…where do you think he went?"

"I don't know," his father sighed. "I don't know." He stared off into space for a minute, a troubled look on his face. After a moment he shook it off, putting on his happy face again, although it was slightly forced now. "But I don't want you to worry about that," he said. "It's not your problem. You just focus on being you, and having fun, all right? Don't worry about Astro right now, okay?"

"Okay," Toby agreed, although he was still slightly troubled. He had a feeling that the issue with Astro was far from resolved.

They lapsed back into silence for a little while, both eating their food in uncomfortable quiet.

Soon, both Toby and Tenma couldn't eat another bite, and Tenma called Orrin in, who hurriedly began to clear the table, juggling a myriad of plates at a time on his spindly arms, rolling back and forth between the dining room and the kitchen.

Tenma then turned to Toby, a smile on his face again. "So," he said, the happiness returning to his voice as he seemed to have forgotten all about Astro. "What would you like to do today?"

Toby shrugged, looking thoughtful. He thought back. What did he usually do on…on…

What day was it?

"Uh, Dad?" he asked sheepishly, realizing with horror he had absolutely no clue what day it was. "What day is it exactly?"

Tenma looked surprised at the question at first, but then softened as he remembered Toby had been gone for a long period of time and naturally wouldn't know the date. "It's Saturday," he told Toby kindly. "You have school off today and tomorrow, and then you'll go back on Monday like normal. I see no reason keeping you from getting back in the swing of things. The school has been temporarily relocated though."

Toby blinked, surprised. "Why? What's wrong with it?"

"It's under repair from some damage it suffered from the Peacekeeper," Tenma explained. "Astro did explain the Peacekeeper to you last night, right?" 

Toby nodded; still slightly overwhelmed by the changes that had occurred while he had been out. He opened his mouth to ask if there was anything else he should know when a loud beep interrupted him.

Tenma looked down at his white jacket at the sound and pulled out a small thin blue device out of his pocket, looking at the lit up holo-screen. He frowned at it for a moment before slipping the device back into his pocket. He sighed, turning to Toby.

"I'm so sorry Toby, but I'm going to have to go in to the Ministry," he said, reluctance evident in his voice. "There is something urgent that needs my attention." His eyes met Toby's eyes and true regret shone in them. "I'm so so sorry," he repeated. "I'll…I'll make it up to you all right? I'll take a day off work the next time I get the opportunity and we'll…spend some time together, okay?"

Toby forced a smile. "Okay Dad," he said. "It's fine, really. Go do what you do best."

Tenma smiled weakly. "Thanks for understanding," he said as he rose, beginning to leave the room. He stopped at the door, looking back at him. "Stay safe, okay?" he whispered quietly.

"Of course Dad," Toby said, smiling.

But Tenma wasn't buying it. "You promise? You won't do anything reckless?"

"No Dad,' Toby said sincerely. "I promise."

Tenma stared at him for a long moment, before nodding. "Good," he said. "I'll…I'll see you tonight, okay?"

"Sure thing Dad," Toby said, smiling. "Bye."

"Bye Toby," Tenma said fondly, before disappearing out the door.

Toby watched him go, before getting up himself and making his way toward the kitchen. He entered it slowly, smiling at the sight of Orrin, who was washing the dishes happily, humming to himself.

"Hi Orrin," he greeted the robot politely.

The machine jumped violently, the plates he was washing clunking together nosily. "Master Toby!" he exclaimed, shaking slightly. "Do not sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry," Toby apologized. "Is it okay if I go out for a little while?"

"I…well…I guess…I guess you can," Orrin said, flustered. "Just be very careful and be home before dark."

"Great," Toby said, already halfway out the door. "See you Orrin!"

"Please be careful Master Toby!" Orrin called, but Toby had already left.

~O~

Toby walked down one of the many streets of the city, hands in his pockets as he took in the view. The Metro City Express Lines above his head, the high-tech cars whipping down the one-line tracks almost faster than he could comprehend, along with the light, blue glow of the buildings around him and the nice, perfectly cut and manicured green grass in every park he passed. It was such a perfect city, so well organized, so advanced, like a well-oiled, efficient machine.

It didn't seem like anything dangerous could ever happen here.

He never thought anything dangerous could.

But it did. He could barely remember it, but it had happened. He had only saw the Red Core being loaded into the robot, saw its center turn red and saw it go on a rampage, before a flash of blood red light blinded him and everything went black.

He didn't remember it running rabid. He didn't see the robot causing horrible damage to his beloved city. He didn't see his counterpart taking it down.

But it had happened. He knew it had. Something horrible had happened in his perfect, safe city.

And nothing in his life would ever be the same again. Not ever. The Peacekeeper had changed everything. When it had absorbed him, everything had changed. He wanted to tell himself that it hadn't. That everything was just like it was before. But it wasn't, and he knew it.

When he had been absorbed, everyone had believed him dead. That alone had altered his world. His Dad had been devastated, he believed he was gone.

So he created Astro.

Astro. Everything that had happened after the Peacekeeper revolved around Astro. Astro was him; he was created to be him. He was the robot Toby Tenma. A robot that was supposed to take his place after his death.

Except he hadn't died.

He knew it threw everything off. He knew the fact that he was still living and breathing was the reason Astro had left, his Dad had made that clear. There couldn't be two of him, because it didn't work that way. Society didn't work that way. Robots didn't work that way. It didn't work.

But that didn't change what Astro had done to his life. Everything, everything had changed because of Astro. He was a hero, he had saved the city and everyone knew his name. Everyone knew the existence of the little robot, and Toby was sure that his robot copy's existence would never again go unnoticed. Things would never go swiftly back to normal because a robot that had taken his name existed and had made an impact. Toby was sure he would never be looked at the same again.

Nothing would ever be the same again.

Everything had changed.

Toby sighed, closing his eyes briefly. Everything had changed, and he needed to adjust. He dreaded what school would be like on Monday. He wasn't sure how everyone would react to his return. Either one of two things, he guessed. Either they'd think he was Astro and wouldn't believe it was really him, or things would be like normal. He hoped it was the latter, but he doubted it. He just hoped people would be able to get it through their thick skulls that he isn't a robot and he isn't Astro.

"Hey! HEY!"

Toby jumped at the sudden shout and turned around sharply, raising an eyebrow to see a pair of young boys running at him, giant smiles on their faces.

"Hey," the boy who had called said breathlessly as he caught up to Toby, panting slightly and blowing his sandy-blond hair out of his bright blue eyes. He stared about at Toby with his eyes wide. "Hey…" he repeated for the fourth time. "Y-you're Astro! You're the robot that saved the city, right?"

Toby sighed. Well, it looked like he would be explaining far earlier than he expected. "No, I'm not," he explained, trying to sound as kind as possible, as the kid looked only about nine. But he still couldn't help some annoyance from creeping into his voice. "I'm not a robot."

The blond kid looked confused, faltering in his adoring stare for a moment as he took in what Toby had said. The other boy, however, hadn't believed a word of it. "Yes you are!" the kid, who also looked about nine and had close cropped, black hair, said, putting his hands on his hips and frowning up at Toby. "You have horns like him."

Toby rolled his eyes. "They're _not _horns," he said irritably. "And I'm not Astro. My name's Toby."

"Then…then why do you look just like him?" the blond boy asked timidly, lip quivering as if the thought that this kid might actually not be his idol was horrible.

Toby bit his lip, trying not to get too irritated. "I don't look like Astro," he said slowly. "Astro looks like _me. I _was the original. Astro was modeled after me."

The boys' eyes widened. "You mean _you're _the _original _robot?" the dark-haired one exclaimed, aghast. "Like, the prototype Astro?"

"No—I—ugh," Toby gave up, groaning in frustration. "Never mind. Go run off and play or something. I have to go."

The boys didn't seem happy about it, but they turned to leave. Relief washed over Toby. Thank goodness _that _was over. He turned to keep going, cringing when the blond kid yelled out "Bye Astro!" behind him. Doubling the speed of his pace, he rounded the corner, leaving the two boys far behind.

As he walked down the next street he groaned inwardly, any part left of his earlier good mood now gone forever. Was that what school was going to be like on Monday? He certainly hoped not. Hours and days on end dealing with stuff like _that _would be absolute torture. He'd much rather be homeschooled, or even better, teach himself. It wasn't like he actually learned anything remotely challenging at school anyway.

He sighed again, finding himself wishing slightly bitterly that the whole ordeal with the Peacekeeper and Astro hadn't happened. If Astro hadn't been created none of this would have happened…

But he couldn't really bring himself to blame the little robot. It wasn't his fault, after all, that he existed. Technically, it was his fathers, but it wasn't really his father's either because Tenma hadn't known that Toby wasn't dead. Ultimately, if you went right down to it, it was all Stone's fault. _He _had loaded the Red Core into the Peacekeeper and started the whole ordeal, not Tenma. It was his fault. But Toby had no idea where Stone was, and frankly, he didn't care. He was just glad he was gone. At least with that assurance he could rest easy knowing that what happened wouldn't happen again.

Still rather lost in thought, Toby glanced at his holo-phone to check the time. It was still relatively early, and he still had no clue where he was headed or where he wanted to go. Although he wasn't very hungry yet due to Orrin's feast of a breakfast, he decided that something to eat wouldn't hurt and set course for his favorite café, for no reason other than it was somewhere to go to. He was getting tired of the stares he was getting from passerby, no doubt people who thought he was Astro.

He reached the tiny café before long and entered it quickly, happy to be off the streets. An old-fashioned bell jingled as he walked in, and Toby made his way toward an empty table near the back corner of the café, mood lifting somewhat. He liked this café because it was small and cozy and was nice to relax in. It was the perfect place for him to hang and think uninterrupted for a little while.

He sat down quietly, smiling at the bouncy feel of the cushioned seat underneath him. Placing his arms on the tabletop, he pulled out his holo-phone, and accessed the holo-net, logging into his e-mail. He frowned at the messages. Almost all of them were spam or forwards, and the only ones that were actually from some of his friends were from a while back. He guessed that his disappearance must not have gone completely unnoticed. He wasn't sure if that was a bad thing or a good thing.

He was just considering maybe sending an e-mail to one of his closer classmates to see what the response would be when a waitress appeared at the edge of his table, a handheld holo-pad in hand to write down his order. Toby put his holo-phone politely down and looked up at her. She was young, early twenties he guessed, with a sweeping black bang across one eye and a green highlight on the side. She was chewing gum too.

"Hello," she said in a fake, rehearsed tone, looking down at her holo-pad. "My names Chelisia and I'll be your server to—"

She cut off abruptly as she looked up from her pad, dark eyes falling on Toby. Her mouth fell open, revealing her mint green gum sitting on her back molars.

Uh oh. Toby had a bad feeling he knew what was coming next.

"You're…y-you're…" she sputtered. "You're that robot. The robot kid that destroyed that other robot that was destroying the city!"

Toby sighed, not really sure exactly how to explain. "No, I'm not," he said irritably, trying to keep his voice pleasant. "It just looks like me because I'm the human it was modeled after."

The waitress just looked at him blankly. It was clear she hadn't comprehended anything he just said.

Toby had no clue why that was such a hard concept for people to wrap their heads around, but apparently, it was. People are so shallow sometimes.

He sighed again. "Okay," he said reluctantly, concluding that he would never be able to convince the waitress he wasn't Astro and that it was really a waste of time to try. "Yes, I'm the robot."

The waitress gasped. "No way!" she exclaimed. "I _so _knew it!"

Toby rolled his eyes. Oh boy, here we go.

"I, like, saw you!" she said excitedly, forgetting all about taking Toby's order. "You, like, flew by and like destroyed that robot, and like—yeah!"

"Mhmmm," Toby said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I don't mean to be rude, but can you please, _like, _take my order?"

"Oh right!" the waitress said, looking back at her holo-pad as she blushed, though she was still beaming. It was rather obnoxious actually. "Um…can I take you're or—oh, wait!"

Toby looked at her, not even trying to look polite anymore. "What?"

"Can't you—don't you…" she spluttered. "Uh…I didn't know robots could eat."

Toby sighed, closing his eyes briefly. School was going to be horrible. "We can," he said irritably. "And I'll take a deluxe deli sandwich and a carmel tutaliano with whip cream, please."

"Oh, uh, right," the waitress said, quickly typing his order on her pad as she blushed a deep red. "I'll be right back with that," she said quickly, before hurriedly scampering away.

Toby sighed again, incredibly grateful to be rid of her. He was _not _looking forward to a conversation like that again.

He looked back at his holo-phone, not near as happy as he was before, and tried to busy himself on it while he waited for his food. But no matter how hard he tried; his mind kept wandering back to the same thing.

Astro.

Where was he now? Was his father right, was Astro just upset that he was alive and had left because he felt replaced? Was he jealous? Did he feel abandoned, neglected? Did he even feel at all or had his father programmed him to leave if Toby by some miracle returned? Toby didn't know, and it bothered him. He had always seen robots as so predictable, their actions so dictated and controlled by their programming and creators. But Astro was different. Throughout the entire time he had talked to his robot counterpart the night before, Toby had to remind himself forcefully that what he was talking to was a robot, not a human. Astro was so _lifelike _and so…so…_him _that he kept forgetting that all he was was a piece of technology that his father had crafted to be as close as a robot could get to him.

He was a very, very advanced robot, and unlike any other robot Toby had ever encountered. He wasn't predictable like all other robots. He was unique…and from what Toby could tell, he could think for himself.

He knew he shouldn't care, but he couldn't seem to keep his mind off the sheer wonder of Astro. And he couldn't help but wonder what Astro's true capabilities were, both mentally and physically. He was the son of Bill Tenma. He was curious. He wanted to know.

Problem was, he couldn't begin to answer his questions if the object of their existence was MIA.

Toby sighed, giving up on his holo-phone and placing his head in his hands, staring out of the café window and out into the big, bustling city.

_Where are you Astro?_


	8. A Therapy of Sorts

**(A/N: Hello everybody! I'm back! :D Once again, sorry for the wait, I promise I'm not just messing with your brains; I really have been trying to write whenever possible. This chapter was so cool to write, I absolutely loved it, so I hope you enjoy it just as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

**And, of course, the famed thank you's! OMG I BROKE A HUNDRED! I seriously was staring at my Kindle like "…omg, did that many people actually read it?" and then I went running around the house yelling "I broke a hundred!" and my family was all "What?" SO THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU DEAR READERS! I WILL FOREVER LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU! :D :D :D My happiness cannot be expressed in words.**

**Thanks to: AstroGirl101, Toby Tenma, NJ7009, moviegal99, YoungAuthor403, Desiree Phantom, starwarrior4ever, Renesmee5550123, Magicalmayhem, Harry. Potter. Is. BOSS, Evil Unicorn Overload and Rainbow Factory. YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! ENJOY! **

Everything was dark, black. There was nothing. He was nothing. There was no thoughts, no movement.

He was dead.

But then, slowly, gradually, light began to filter into his dark, dark world. He felt his eyes open, saw his vision pixilate as his eyes glowed blue, blurring and distorting the world around him.

It took a minute.

But then his eyes adjusted, and the world came rushing back to him.

Astro gasped, breathing heavily as he sat upright with a jolt, eyes wide and chest heaving. What happened? Where was he? This wasn't his bed. Why wasn't he home? Why wasn't he—

In a rush, all the memories suddenly came flooding back to him. His father planning to shut him down, his depression, him falling, him pulling out the Core—

Dead. He should be dead.

So why wasn't he?

Astro looked around him, founding himself slightly disoriented. Things were still hard to focus on and his vision pixilated now and then, but he could see enough to notice that he was naked.

He stared down at his red boots and black Speedo in surprise, he hadn't remembered getting undressed, but this realization took a back seat when he saw his chest.

His chest hatch was open, revealing the Blue Core within, spinning majestically inside of him.

His breathing became slightly shallow as he stared at it. He knew _he _hadn't put it back in. He had been dead. He was sure of it. Someone else had put it back in for him, someone had found him, brought him to this place—

Where _was _he?

Starting to panic now, Astro closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. He took a couple big breaths before reopening them, closing his chest hatch and silencing the blue glare of the Core.

Only then did he look around him carefully for the first time.

And felt his whole body turn to ice.

He knew this place. He'd been here before. He knew that broken robot by the door. He'd broken it. He knew this table, he seen a robot being worked on at this table. He'd seen those broken windows before, he'd seen all those tools before, all those need-of-repair-robots before—

With a wave of horror, Astro realized exactly where he was.

Hamegg's.

His mind began to whirl, thoughts running in a jumbled pattern as he tried to figure out what to do. Should he make a break for it? The door was right there. Maybe he could get through it before—

He froze as the door slowly opened.

And then there he was, walking through the door in the same ugly vest he had worn the day Astro had first met him.

Hamegg.

The fat man smiled at him, eyes glinting as his big frame filled the doorway, blocking it. "Ah, Astro, you're awake," he said, his voice exactly as Astro remembered it. Cheerful and bubbly. Too bubbly. "Good, good, you turned on faster than I thought you would. I only just stepped out a moment ago."

He grinned and took a step closer to Astro, eyes wide with curiosity. "Fantastic," he murmured to himself, looking Astro's frame over almost hungrily.

Astro backed away from him slowly, pressing his back up against the wall. "What do you want with me?" he asked, voice wavering slightly as he fixed Hamegg with a wary gaze.

Hamegg laughed. "Me?" he chortled. "Why I don't want anything from you!"

Astro narrowed his eyes. "I don't believe you," he whispered icily. "You tried to kill me."

"Astro, Astro, Astro you got it all _wrong_," Hamegg said, shaking his head, still beaming rather obnoxiously. "I didn't want to _hurt _you. I knew you would win."

Astro glared at him. "Could've fooled me," he growled. "From my perspective, it certainly didn't look like you thought I'd win. To me, it looked like you were mad that I won and ruined your barbaric little games."

Hamegg's face fell, eyes darkening. "I lost my fame because of you," he murmured darkly. "I got kicked out, flat on my buttocks. Just like that, BAM! No more Robot Games."

Astro smirked. "Good," he said flatly. "Can I go back to being dead now?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, let's not be hasty there," Hamegg said hurriedly, a look of horror on his face. "Why would you want to do that?"

Astro sighed, looking away, pain shinning in his eyes. "You wouldn't understand," he whispered forlornly, shaking somewhat.

Hamegg stared at him, dumb shock filling his features as Astro's obvious pain hit him full in the face. "You shut _yourself _off…didn't you?" he realized, aghast.

Astro looked down at his boots. "Yeah," he mumbled.

Hamegg stared at him in shock for a long moment, before cautiously making his way over to the little robot and sitting down next to him on the work bench. The metal table creaked under his weight.

Astro focused on his boots. He flinched slightly when Hamegg sat down, but refused to look at him.

Hamegg sighed. "C'mon Astro," he wheedled. "Tell me what happened. You can trust me."

Astro snorted. "Trust you?" he laughed bitterly, looking up at the man with clear distrust. "_That's _a good one." He looked away again miserably.

But Hamegg wasn't giving up that easy. "Is it Cora?" he asked softly. "Did she dump you? You shouldn't mope over her y'know, girls aren't worth—"

"It's not Cora."

"Oh."

There was a long, awkward silence. Astro simply stared down at his boots, quivering slightly, hugging his knees to his chest. Hamegg didn't know what to do. He was bursting to know why in the world Astro would commit suicide, but Astro was also in obvious pain and Hamegg had no idea how to get the information out of him without upsetting him further.

Finally, after what felt like eternity, Astro looked at him, his once lively, happy brown eyes empty and lifeless. It scared Hamegg somewhat.

"Why do you _care _Hamegg?" he asked softly, voice filled with emotion. "You said it yourself, at the end of the day, robots are just _trash. _Why did you turn me back on?"

"Astro, Astro, Astro of _course _I care," Hamegg said, voice laced with surprising sincerity. "I didn't before, but that was before I saw how…wonderful you are."

Astro looked at him, anger flashing in his eyes at first, before melting away into empty sadness. "You want to _use _me," he said forlornly. "Use me like everyone else uses me." He pulled his knees up to his chin sadly. "I guess that's all I'm meant for," he whispered. "That's all I am. A robot. A robot created for humans to _use._"

"Astro, Astro, Astro that's not it at all!" Hamegg exclaimed, horrified. "That might have been how I saw you before, but not anymore! When I first discovered you were a robot, I admit, I saw you as an opportunity. You were—are—an amazing piece of technology, even more advanced that I had originally thought. I admit, I wanted to use you. I knew you were made in Metro City, probably by that no-good-big-nosed jerk Dr. Tenma or someone like him, and I wanted to put you in the Robot Games and see how Metro City robots faired against our _Surface _robots. I didn't think you stood a chance." He took a breath, his expression changing to one that Astro couldn't identify.

"But you surprised me," he continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You were amazing! Rocket boots, speed unlike any robot I had ever seen! Strength and most amazingly, _courage. _That was what got me. How in the world could a robot have _courage? _But I knew you did, I could tell. That was no programming. I have no idea how you are how you are, Astro, but it is flabbergasting." He takes a breath, eyes distant, as if remembering something. "But even then I saw you was just a robot," he said softly. "I couldn't change my mind set on that and I was furious that you were ruining my reputation."

He paused for a moment.

"But then you saved me…" he breathed, voice barely above a whisper and filled with awe. "ZOG was going to crush me. You could have just stood there and no one would have blamed you. You hadn't done it. You hadn't broken any of the Laws of Robotics. You could have just stood there, and watched and been satisfied that I had gotten what I deserved in revenge for what I had done to you. But…you didn't. You saved me."

He stared at Astro, eyes glinting. "Why?" he whispered. "Why did you do that for me? After all that I _did_ to you?"

Astro looked at him; brown eyes still dull with sadness and pain, but also with wisdom beyond his years. "I think you know why," he said softly.

Hamegg blinked but didn't take his eyes off Astro. "You're a not a normal robot, are you?" he said slowly, as if testing the water temperature before entering the pool. "I mean, I know you're not a normal robot, but that's not what I mean. You…you can feel…can't you? Real emotions? Not programmed ones?"

Astro nodded slowly.

Hamegg stared at him, mouth gaping slightly. "Amazing," he whispered. "How?"

Astro looked at him. "I think you know that too," he said.

"The blue sphere that powers you…" Hamegg murmured slowly, eyes going distant with wonder.

Astro nodded again. Slowly, quietly, he put a hand to his chest and pressed down lightly. His chest hatch appeared, and he slowly opened it, revealing the beautiful, shinning Blue Core within him.

"It's called the Blue Core," he explained. "Its pure positive energy pulled from a fallen asteroid. It's what allows me to feel."

Hamegg's eyes widened into huge, awe-filled circles, sparkling in the blue light of the Core. "Astounding," he breathed. "But…why was it given to _you_?"

Astro opened his mouth to answer, but then closed it again, looking away. Obviously, the answer to that question pained him. But Hamegg wasn't giving up that easy.

"Astro you can tell me," he pushed gently.

Astro still refused to look back at him. "You're not asking why the Core was given to me," he said slowly, a dangerous edge to his voice mixed with such hurt that it scared Hamegg. "You're asking why I was _built._"

Hamegg shook his head. "No, that's not what I was—" He broke off as he realized Astro was right. That is exactly what he was asking.

Astro closed his chest hatch almost angrily, letting out a sharp breath through his nose as he hugged his knees tight to his chest. "I don't want to talk about it," he snapped, looking away again.

Another long silence filled the work room. Hamegg knew he should leave Astro alone, that this wasn't his place to ask questions, but he couldn't contain his curiosity. He _had _to know.

"You know…" he said slowly. "They say that the best way to let out your emotions is talking about them with someone who isn't involved."

Astro snorted. "How can talking help any?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Well, it might not fix the problem," Hamegg admitted, shrugging good naturedly. "But it'll probably make you feel better. Get some of the weight off your shoulders, y'know? And I mean, who am I really gonna tell anyway?"

Astro hesitated. His body tensed and he was obviously holding in a lot.

Hamegg waited, hoping.

"My father was going to shut me off," he said in a rush, finally spilling.

Hamegg raised an eyebrow at the word 'father'. Astro had a _father_?

"My creator," Astro explained sadly, knowing exactly where Hamegg's mind had jumped. "Bill Tenma."

"_Tenma?_" Hamegg exclaimed, outraged. "You're creator is _that _no good little—"

"HE'S MY FATHER, OKAY!" Astro exploded, anger flashing in his eyes briefly, before quickly dying down back to their empty sadness again.

Hamegg shut up, shocked.

"He loved me…" Astro sobbed forlornly. "Or at least…he did."

There was a short, sad silence.

Hamegg stared at Astro in shock, deep empathy and pity shinning in his eyes. "What happened Astro?" he asked quietly.

Astro looked at him, pain so obvious and _real _that Hamegg felt his heart go out to him.

"I should probably start from the beginning," he explained quietly. "When I was made." He took a big breath. Hamegg waited in anticipation.

Astro breathed heavily through his nose. "I was created to be human," he began quietly. "I am a copy of my Dad's son, Toby."

Hamegg's eyes bugged. "Whoa whoa whoa," he spluttered. "Tenma had a _son_?"

Astro smiled somewhat, laughing a little. "How well did you know him?" he asked.

"Not very," Hamegg admitted. "We were both very young when we worked together. Early twenties, both just out of college, both scientific and engineering geniuses. We got along okay…until he _fired _me."

Astro cocked his head, curious. "Why'd he fire you?"

Hamegg smiled somewhat sheepishly. "Oh. Well, I _guess _I might have gotten _slightly _carried away with the…ah…weapons development and more…fun areas of the Ministry. But really, he didn't need to _fire _me, let alone get some higher up guys get me _banished_ to the Surface…" He looked off into nothing for a moment, eyes distant, as if remembering something. But then he quickly shook himself out of it. "But enough about _me, _that's a story for another time. Continue."

A flash of sadness crossed Astro's face as he was reminded of his predicament, quickly bringing himself back to reality. He nodded, sighing.

"Toby was killed in an accident at the Ministry," Astro explained, biting his lip. "Dad was…pretty upset. So, he created me to be a replacement for Toby, and placed the Blue Core in me to make me even more human. I…well, he put Toby's DNA in me…I think anyway, but well…I…I thought I was Toby. I didn't know I was a robot. I figured it out soon enough though…when I kind of, well, fell out of a window and found out I could fly."

Hamegg laughed. "You fell out of window?"

Astro looked sheepish. "Yeah," he said. "Good thing I have rocket boots, huh?"

"Mhmmm," Hamegg mused, smiling. "Very helpful."

Astro smiled a little. As much as he hated to admit it, Hamegg _was _making him feel a little better. "Yeah, well, it was pretty spectacular. To fly," he said as he smiled, recalling the memory. But then his smile faltered. "Course, what happened after _that _wasn't so spectacular."

Hamegg frowned. "What happened?"

Astro sighed. "My father," he said. "He…well, apparently I wasn't exactly like Toby…and I…and I just reminded him of Toby more. So…so he asked Dr. Elefun to shut me off."

Hamegg's eyes bugged. "He wanted to _shut you off?" _he exclaimed _"You? _Why would he want to do that? You're so…so…advanced!"

Astro smiled sadly. "I don't know," he said softly. "I think…I think he was just upset. I mean, he was in turmoil and…well, his son was a robot and…I understand. But it was…it was really hard for me. I mean, I just found out I wasn't human and that I was a robot, and now I was getting kicked out of the only home I _thought _I'd ever known." He sighed, closing his eyes. "And that wasn't the worst of it. The moment I left, I was attacked by the government. President Stone. He wanted the Blue Core back. They wouldn't leave me alone…until eventually I was hit. Then next thing I remembered was waking up on the Surface. You know what happened after that."

Hamegg whistled. "Yikes," he said. "And here I thought you just were replaced by a bigger, better robot and kicked down here."

Astro shook his head. He sighed again. "It doesn't matter anyway," he said. "That's all in the past now. I was okay with it too. Everything was great." He smiled, remembering his and Cora's flight. "Better than great, actually," he said, smile faltering somewhat. "Until Toby returned."

Hamegg choked somewhat. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Astro said. "Toby's alive. Apparently, he wasn't killed in the accident at the Ministry, just absorbed by the robot that supposedly destroyed him…a robot that _I _destroyed..."

"So when it was totaled, Tenma's son was released," Hamegg finished for him, eyes wide. "Oh boy. Bet that went over well."

Astro closed his eyes, quivering slightly at the memory of seeing Toby for the first time. "He didn't want me anymore…" he whispered. "Dad. He created me to be his replacement son. A replacement, a _copy_ of Toby. And now that he has Toby back…"

"…he doesn't need you anymore," Hamegg finished for him, aghast. "That's horrible…"

Astro hugged his boots to his chest again, looking like he was fighting back tears that didn't exist. "That's why I shut myself off," he said quietly. "I don't have a purpose anymore. I was built to be a replacement of Toby…but I can't be a replacement of him if he's _alive_. Dad doesn't want me. He doesn't need me. I'm not needed. I don't belong anywhere."

He looked at Hamegg, eyes hallow. "Why bother living?" he whispered. "I don't have anything else to live _for_."

"Astro, Astro, Astro you must not _talk _like that!" Hamegg exclaimed, horrified. "I'm sure there's _someplace _for you!"

"Like where? Here?" Astro snorted. "No offense Hamegg, but I don't belong here." He looked down at his boots again. "I don't belong anywhere," he whispered forlornly. "I thought…I thought when my Dad accepted me, everything was finally the way it was supposed to be. I thought I finally belonged." He looked away. "I guess not."

Hamegg was at a loss of what to do. Astro was obviously incredibly depressed and despite their past and their differences, Hamegg wanted nothing more than to help him. But he had no idea how to make the little robot feel better. His dilemma was simply too big to be fixed, and that frustrated Hamegg. He could fix any robot, but with problems like this…? He was helpless.

Hamegg hated being helpless.

Hamegg stared at Astro for a moment, studying him, taking his small, weak-looking form in. It pained him, to see Astro this way. He was so tiny, so helpless looking, but yet he was so powerful! So great and strong and advanced! And yet he was reduced to nothing without a single finger being raised. For this first time, Hamegg saw firsthand what a horrible weapon love can be. Astro loved Tenma. That much was clear. And because of that love, Astro was alone and unwanted. Purposeless.

Hamegg bit his lip, hesitating slightly. He sensed their conversation had come to an end, and although he was not happy about what he knew was coming; he knew he had to try at least one more time.

"Astro," he started slowly. "Are you sure that there is nothing I can do to possibly persuade you to stay here? With me and the other kids instead?" He held his breath, hoping.

But Astro shook his head. "Dad was going to shut me off anyway," he said dejectedly. "Even if I stayed, he would probably eventually find me. Or if not him, the government. I'm too powerful to be left along, Hamegg."

Hamegg sighed. He had been worried Astro would say that. He wanted to persuade him other whys, but he knew there was going to be no changing his mind. Not here. Not now. "So…" he said slowly. "What are you going to do?"

Astro looked up at him, before looking away, eyes slightly distant. He looked so at loss, so upset and dejected. Hamegg just wanted to pull him into a giant hug, but he refrained. "I don't know!" Astro cried, looking like he was going to burst into tears at any second. "I don't know anything about anything anymore."

Hamegg frowned. "Well, I'm no physiatrist…" he said slowly. "But…well, I would say, try talking it out with your Dad. Try to negotiate with him, at least figure _something_ out. Committing suicide just doesn't seem…I don't know. I think you should find an alternative option."

But Astro just shook his head. "Negotiate _how_?" he asked forlornly. "He doesn't want me. He had Toby now. That is that." He sighed. "But I don't want to run anymore. Running won't get me anywhere. I have nowhere to go. And…and I don't think…" he looked down at his chest and pressed down on it again, opening the hatch that was revealed and exposing the Core.

"I'm not sure if I have the courage to take it out again," he admitted softly, a soft flash of fear mixed with sadness and loss flashing across his face.

Hamegg sighed, closing his eyes briefly. "I don't know what to tell you Astro," he admitted, defeated. "If you don't want to stay here…well, I guess it's up to you where you want to go."

Astro looked at him, slightly suspicious. "You aren't going to force me to stay?" he asked distrustingly.

"No, of course not," Hamegg said truthfully. He sighed for the umpteenth time. "Don't get me wrong, I've been really _really _tempted to zap you and rewire you to do my will this entire time. But the truth is…I _owe _you. You might be a robot, but you saved my life. I don't think I could live with myself if I did something bad to you and used you while I owed you my life."

A small smile crept onto Astro's face. Maybe Hamegg wasn't so bad after all.

There was a small silence. Then Hamegg spoke.

"So…what are you going to do?"

Astro sighed, still looking lost, but with a grim determination settling in his eyes. "I'm going to go back to my Dad," he decided firmly. "I know he's going to shut me off but…at least I'll be able to tell him that I understand. I understand that he has his Toby back now, and I understand why he doesn't want me anymore. I understand and…and its okay. He's still me father and…and I still love him. Even though he doesn't love me anymore."

Hamegg stared at Astro with awe, admiring the firm determination and courage that was growing in his eyes now that he had made his decision. "You're a very mature robot," he observed quietly.

Astro smiled sadly. "I've been through more than most robots," he said humbly.

"No…no it's not just that," Hamegg said, staring at Astro almost distantly. "You're more mature than any _human _I've ever met. I don't think many people who can feel and talk and walk—let alone fly and have amazing powers like you—could calmly walk to their deaths like you are going to. I know _I _could never do that."

Astro smiled modestly. "Thanks Hamegg," he said sincerely. "It's good to feel…human."

"You're welcome," Hamegg said softly.

Another long silence followed the thank you, and Hamegg knew that Astro's departure was approaching. He didn't like it, but he knew there was nothing he could do.

Finally, Astro stood, slipping off the bench and meeting the workshop's metal floor, boots touching down with a metallic thunk. "I should get going…" he said softly.

Hamegg nodded solemnly and slipped off the bench after him. The two walked silently to the door and into the make-shift orphanage. Astro's eyes went distant at the sights, and Hamegg knew that he was remembering his time here. All his friends, all the good times he had here…before he himself had ruined it for him. He was suddenly thankful that all the children were visiting another town on the Surface tonight. He didn't want to see their happy faces just now. Not after what he had done to Astro, and not with what Astro was about to do.

They reached the front door and Hamegg opened it for Astro solemnly. Astro walked out slowly, looking up at the starry sky with a resigned look in his eyes. He sighed, closing them and looking down at his feet.

Hamegg clutched the door frame quietly. "Sure there is nothing I can do to convince you to stay?" he asked softly.

Astro shook his head slowly. "No…" he breathed. "No I…I have to do this."

Hamegg bit his lip. "So…I guess this is good-bye?"

Astro bit his lip as well. "Yeah…I guess."

"Well then, fair well Astro," Hamegg said, trying to stop his voice from wavering as he stuck out his hand to the little robot.

Astro smiled and shook it good naturedly, gripping Hamegg's hand in a strong, firm grip. "Good-bye Hamegg," he said. "And…thanks."

Hamegg blinked. "Thanks? Thanks for what?"

"For letting me talk to you," Astro said. "And…and making me feel better. It means a lot."

Hamegg found himself fighting back tears, touched. "You're welcome," he said. "You're…you're not bad Astro. Not bad at all."

Astro smiled somewhat, feet reverting into rocket boots as the jets kicked in. He hovered in front of Hamegg, eyes glinting in the light of the stars.

"Neither are you Hamegg," he said sincerely. "Neither are you. Friends?"

Hamegg smiled. "Friends indeed," he said.

Astro smiled back at him, before turning and looking up at the stars, jaw set. He closed his eyes briefly, before looking back at Hamegg one last time. "See you in the next world?" he asked weakly.

"I would be honored," Hamegg said, saluting him.

Astro smiled. "Good-bye Hamegg," he whispered.

And then he turned and began to fly away. Hamegg looked sadly on, watching him disappear into the starry, endless sky.


	9. Fighting a Losing Battle

**(A/N: Hey guys. Um sorry for the wait, this took much longer than planned because I got a little carried away with some character analysis and some moments that I came up with as I was writing it that I just **_**had **_**to write in. It ended up a little longer because of this (which I guess is a good thing) but resulted in it taking longer. But good news! School is out for the summer, which means FREE TIME! Yes, I now actually have time to write! So hopefully, updates won't take as long. **

**And now, dear readers, for the thank you's. Thank you to: Vi-Violence, bug2buga, Josh Spicer, lunar locket, ALLS96, Mira Kial, Toby Tenma, crazy jaky, Magicalmayhem, Renesmee5550123, PhantomBeliever990, starwarrior4ever, Desiree Phantom, Harry. Potter. Is. BOSS, Rainbow Factory, moviegal99 and AstroGirl101! I can't believe how many people are reading this! It makes me feel so happy, I'm gonna burst! Thank you guys so much, your support is so encouraging! **

**Enjoy!)**

**Tenma's POV:**

Bill Tenma sat at his computer, staring at the blue screen blankly, the document he had opened still blank. The whiteness of the page seemed to blind his tired eyes, and the little black line on the page kept blinking, beckoning him to get back to work. But for some reason, he couldn't seem to bring himself to. He felt drained, empty, like he wouldn't be able to lift a finger to get anything done to save his life. So all he did was sit there in his desk chair and stared. Stared at the computer. Stared at the blank screen. Stared at that forever reappearing and disappearing line, trying, trying his best not to let his mind wander. Not let it wander to who he dreaded it wandering too.

Astro.

Nope, nope, he wasn't going to allow himself to think about him. He wouldn't, he would _not _let himself torture him like that. _Focus on the line._ He told himself. _Try to see if you can focus enough to get some work done. Yeah, that's it. Don't think of Astro…don't think about him…or his red boots…or his kind, humble smile…or the happiness on his face, or how his eyes light up when he sees you…_

"Ugh!" Tenma groaned, throwing his head back and putting his face in his hands. He couldn't do it. He couldn't do it! He couldn't stop thinking about Astro! No matter what he did, his mind always came back to the little robot…and then the guilt began to worm its way in. The cold, unrelenting guilt.

The sound of a wheel rolling across the plush carpeted living room signaled the approach of Orrin. Tenma ignored him, closing his eyes and blocking out the sight of his blank holo-computer screen and empty, perfectly clean living room. With that fashionable coach that…that _she _had insisted they'd buy so long ago. That same plush, comfy coach that Toby had sat on just the other night. That Astro had sat on just hours before that. That _she _had sat on countless times. Smiling. Laughing. Alive. Real.

Tenma could barely suppress a sob that rose in his throat at the thought, and he felt tears growing in his eyes.

The sound of the wheel came to a sudden stop, and Tenma felt the presence of Orrin next to him. He knew he should open his eyes, but he didn't want to. He never wanted to. He wanted to stay like this forever and never, ever face his troubles. He wanted to sleep away his grief and guilt and pain that sprouted following the disappearance of Astro. He knew it was his fault. He had known it the moment he had peaked into Toby's room to find Astro gone and the window open. He just knew it. He knew that he shouldn't care, that Astro was just a robot. He wasn't human, and he wasn't Toby, he was never Toby, and he should just be happy that Toby was alive. But for some reason he wasn't content with that, and that feeling of guilt would not leave him. He wanted to sleep away his still fresh-as-ever pain from losing his darling Esmeralda. Oh, how he missed her. How he wished she was still there to comfort him, to hold his hand while he was upset and calm him down with her soothing, never wavering words. She was always so strong, so unwavering, no matter what happened. She always knew what to do. Tenma didn't. He never knew what to do, and it seemed like every choice he made always ended up backfiring in his face. He was horrible father. He had let Toby die and then had created Astro, just to kick him out, shut him off, reaccept him again, and then shun him. He didn't blame Astro for leaving. He would, if someone he loved had treated him that way. He was horrible.

"Sir?" Orrin's timid voice broke Tenma's depressing thoughts quietly, something that Tenma was almost thankful for. "Are you all right?"

Tenma sighed and opened his eyes, looking up at the shiny silver housebot and frowning slightly at the worry apparent on the robots face. "I'm fine Orrin," he said, trying to keep his voice from wavering. "Fine. Just…just tired."

"Oh, well, okay then," Orrin said, looking extremely uncomfortable. "Would you…would you like me to go wake Master Toby up for school?"

"Toby? School?" Tenma repeated, still slightly in a daze. "Oh. Right. Yes, yes please do that Orrin."

Orrin nodded and began to wheel away, looking relieved to leave and have something to do. "Right away sir."

Tenma nodded at him and closed his eyes again, turning back to his computer and trying to compose himself before Toby came down. But before he could even begin to try and do so, he heard the unmistakable footfalls of his son bounding down the stairs.

"Mornin' Dad," Toby's voice said behind him, followed by a loud, drawn-out yawn. Tenma cringed slightly at how perfectly Astro's voice had matched Toby's. His own genius was uncanny.

He quickly pushed this thought out of his mind though and put on the best smile he could muster, turning around to face his son. Toby was making his way tiredly toward him, still in his PJ's with his eyes half closed from sleepiness.

"Good morning son," Tenma said cheerfully, relieved to find that his voice betrayed none of the thoughts that he was trying so desperately to suppress. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Toby said, stretching a little and stopping a little ways from Tenma's work area, bare feet kneading the carpet with his toes. "Any news on Astro?"

It was a casual question, but it was enough to send chills of guilt through Tenma. His carefully guarded smile slipped somewhat, becoming more strained. "I told you not to worry about that," he said softly, still trying to keep his voice casual and nonchalant.

Toby frowned somewhat at the answer and opened his mouth as if to say something back, but before he could, Tenma hurriedly cut him off.

"Why don't you get ready for school?" he suggested, more forcefully than he had intended. "If you don't hurry, you'll be late."

Toby's frown deepened. "But I haven't eaten yet!" he complained.

"You can eat once you're dressed," Tenma ordered, relieved that the change in subject had worked. "Go."

Toby grunted whiningly, but left to go get dressed.

Tenma waited until Toby had completely gone up the stairs before he sighed again, holding his head in his hands. It seemed no matter where he was he would never be able to escape the mention of Astro. Not anymore. He bit his lip as the guilt began to try and wheedle its way back in, and this time, he made no move to try and stop it. He didn't see the point in trying to flush out the emotions anymore.

In that moment, in that second that he gave in to his emotions, the guilt and pain hit him full on, like a Metro train at full speed. Tenma pursed his lips, finding himself suddenly closed to tears, tears that he desperately found himself trying to hold back.

He missed Astro. He missed Astro more than he had ever thought possible. He missed him almost to the equivalent of how much he had missed and mourned the death of Esmeralda, and the supposed death of Toby. The pain, too, was just as raw and just as damaging.

But no. No, he couldn't miss Astro like that! He had Toby back now. His real son. Astro had _been _Toby! A _copy _of Toby! A robot. Just a robot. He had the real thing back now. He didn't need Astro anymore.

But then why did he still miss him?

"Ugh!" Tenma moaned, balling up his hair with his fists at the conflicting emotions that ran through him. He was so confused! He couldn't make sense of it all! His brain hurt and a splitting headache throbbed just above his forehead from the stress he was under. It was killing him inside, not being able to sort through and understand all that had happened and all that was jumbled together in his mind. He was Bill Tenma, greatest scientist of the age! There was nothing he couldn't do. Nothing that is, except be a father and sort out his own emotions.

It was driving him batty, and he wasn't sure what to do.

He tried taking a big breath. He removed his hands from his head and shakily uncurled them from their fists, placing them palm down on his thighs. He closed his eyes and inhaled through his noise. _Breathe, _he told himself. _Just breathe, and let your mind run for a moment. Stop trying to cage it and just relax._

He took another big breath and then let go, letting his brain for quite possibly the first time in his life, run free. He forgot all about his work, all about his troubles, and let his mind take him where it wanted.

And where his mind wanted to go, it seemed, was the past.

Before Tenma knew it he was living a flashback.

"_We have to go!" Tenma said, trying frantically to get Astro to leave with him._

_But Astro just looked at him with wise, calm brown eyes._

"_This is it," he whispered. "This is what I was created for. This…this is my destiny."_

"_Toby, now!" Tenma ordered._

_But Astro just looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry," he said. "but this is who I am." He smiled weakly. "Onward and upward…Dad."_

"_NO!" Tenma screeched, but Astro was already zooming back toward the Peacekeeper…and toward his death._

The memory fluxuated and changed, and now Tenma was back at the Ministry, and Astro was lying on a table, looking up at him with barely suppressed fear mixed with a strange calm in his brown eyes.

"_I'm sorry," Tenma whispered, uncontained emotions running through him as he pulled the Blue Core out of Astro, holding it shakily in his hand._

_Astro smiled up at him weakly as his eyes began to droop. "Don't be," he whispered, his head starting to fall as the last of the Blue Core energy started to leave him._

"_I'm sorry I couldn't be a better Toby for you…Dad."_

_And then Astro was gone, and Tenma felt like he had just killed the best thing that had ever happened to him._

In a rush, the flashbacks changed, and he was back in his home, with Toby.

_How he smiled at him when he came down for breakfast the morning after his return._

It had been so wonderful to have him back…

_How relieved he had felt, how happy he was to find out he was alive…_

But something was still missing. The flashback suddenly ended and the visuals of his two sons, both real and robotic, began to fade as that single thought kept burning in his mind. It was wonderful to have Toby back and he was so grateful that he was alive…but something was missing.

But what?

He had a really bad feeling he knew the answer.

The sudden noise of his phone going off made Tenma practically jump out of his skin. Slipping the thin, blue device out of his pocket, Tenma answered it as if in a daze, still not completely focused. "Hello?"

"Hello Tenma," the familiar, ever-calm voice of Dr. Elefun greeted him. Tenma sighed in relief that it was him. He didn't think he could handle a phone call from anyone else right now. "Hello Elefun, what is it?"

"I was just checking in," Elefun said, sounding slightly concerned. "Has there been any news on Astro?"

Tenma sighed. He could just not escape Astro. "No," he said. "He's disappeared. I haven't seen him anywhere."

"Do you have any idea where he might have gone?" Elefun asked, clearly worried for the little robot.

"No…I don't know."

"Do you…do you think he'll come back?" Elefun asked tentatively. "He was probably very upset about the return of Toby. Maybe he will return when he calms down a bit."

Tenma bit his lip. He wasn't exactly sure what to make of that. "Maybe," he said shortly.

"You aren't still set on turning him off, are you?" Elefun said rather forcefully, not missing a trick. "He's still your son, Tenma! He _isn't _Toby!"

"He's still a robot Elefun," Tenma pointed out, feeling suddenly exhausted. He was liking where this conversation was going less and less.

"How can you _say _that?" Elefun exclaimed, aghast. "After what he did for this city? After the courage he demonstrated? He's _more _than just a robot Tenma! And you know it! He _feels! _He _loves _you! Even when you were _killing _him, he still saw you as his father!"

Tenma took a sharp breath, feeling like he had been stabbed multiple times in the gut. He felt the guilt beginning to return, but roughly shoved it down. "That doesn't change anything," he said sharply. "He's still a robot, a robot _I _created to replace Toby. I have Toby back now. I don't need Astro."

"Why can't you have _both_?" Elefun whispered, obviously pained by Tenma's cold-hearted words.

Tenma opened his mouth to respond, but then closed it. Why _couldn't _he have both? It was possible; he could take them both in.

But something stopped him. The idea, the idea of having two Toby's-identical Toby's- bothered him. He would never be able to tell them apart, and it would essentially be like having identical twins.

But he could get passed that. That wasn't the issue. The issue was that, deep down, all Tenma wanted was his old life back. Before Toby's death. Then, when he had thought that Toby was dead, he thought all he had wanted was Toby back. But now that he did, he realized that wasn't it at all. He wanted the everyday life he had had _before _the creation of Astro. _Before _the disaster that was the Peacekeeper. But he couldn't have that. Not with Astro. Astro had changed everything. He had changed Tenma. Of that, he was sure, and he hoped that it was for the better. But that wasn't all Astro had changed. He had changed the entire _city. _Every citizen looked up to him, every resident, robot and human alike. They all saw him as a hero. Tenma would forever be known as the creator of Astro, and Toby would be forever mistaken for Astro. Somehow, Tenma couldn't bring himself to accept this change. It hadn't been Astro's fault, but deep down, Tenma still yearned for the simple, uninterrupted life he had led before Astro had come in and complicated things. Now that Toby was back, that dream might possibly be in reach…but only if he shut down Astro. Only then would the city eventually forget him. Tenma could maybe even create another robot to replace Astro as city hero for them to look up to and praise. Eventually, he then hoped, things would go back to normal. Astro would be forgotten, and it would be like nothing had changed. No, he couldn't have both. Not if he wanted to have his old life back.

If Elefun had noticed Tenma's long silence, he didn't mention it. Instead, he sighed. "I guess I can't force my views upon you," he said sadly. "He's your son; make your own decision Tenma. But choose wisely…someone like Astro does not come by very often. He was built for a reason…and not just to be Toby. Good-bye Tenma."

And with that, Elefun hung up, leaving Tenma sitting there in his chair, holding the silent phone up to his ear, as if frozen in time. Slowly, he broke the moment, hanging up his phone as well as he sat there for a pregnant second, troubled and thinking about all that his good friend had said.

The distinct sound of footsteps and the reappearance of Toby in the living room prevented Tenma's thoughts from straying too far, and for that, he was grateful. His thoughts were already all over the place, and he didn't want them being jumbled any further.

He watched Toby as he hurriedly got ready for school with a small smile. He seemed so care-free, so _unburdened _as he quickly gulped down his food and grabbed his school bag, yelling a "See you after school Dad!" over his shoulder before he disappeared out the door with Orrin wheeling hurriedly behind him, fretting about him being late for class. Tenma briefly wondered if he had ever been that carefree before the door slammed and the silence that Tenma dreaded returned, leaving him once again to the perils and the chains of his own mind.

Another sigh, longer than the previous ones, escaped Tenma's lips. Hoping against hope that he might be able to focus enough to get some work done, he turned to his computer and began to type out the instructions for his latest model of a housebot. He had only been working for a couple minutes when he heard it.

Footsteps.

Brow crinkling at the unexpected sound, Tenma began to turn around, frowning. "Toby is that you?" he asked. "I thought you already left for—"

He broke off mid-sentence as he finished swiveling his chair around, feeling like the breath had been knocked out of him at the sight that met his eyes.

Astro was standing just a few feet away from him, the large picture window open behind him. Before Tenma could utter a word from his shock, Astro's light brown eyes met his, shinning with a dull pain unlike any suffering Tenma had ever felt or seen before. His own suffering was suddenly dwarfed by the pain he saw in his creations chocolate eyes and any words he was going to say vanished from his brain at the sight.

"Hi Dad," Astro said softly, his voice caring like the whistling of the wind and causing shivers to run up Tenma's spine. He swallowed hoarsely, trying to wet his suddenly dry mouth.

"A-Astro," he managed to get out, voice cracking somewhat. "You…you came back."

Astro nodded slowly, looking down at his feet uncomfortably for a long moment, before looking back up at his father. "I know you're planning to shut me off," he said slowly. His voice was neutral and flat. No emotion was put into his words, but it wasn't needed. Tenma could clearly see the pain that the words were causing in his robots sons eyes.

Tenma opened his mouth to answer, to maybe even deny the truth that Astro had just voiced, but he closed it after a moment, not seeing the point. "I-I'm sorry Astro," he got out. "Please believe me that it isn't because of you, it's—"

"Dad," Astro interrupted, smiling weakly. "It's okay. Really. You don't need to explain. I understand."

Tenma gaped at him, not expecting this at all. "Y-y-you do?"

Astro nodded. "You have Toby back now," he said softly. "You want your old life back. The life you had with him. Before me. I'm just the robot copy of him. I can see why you'd just want the real thing and not him _and _an identical copy of him running around." He sighed, looking back down at his boots and rubbing his arm sadly. "I believe that things happen for a reason," he said after a long moment, looking up with a new confidence in his voice. "Nothing happens by chance. Toby is alive for a reason. I think…I think this was all meant to happen. His destiny is to be your son and grow old, graduating at the top of his class and making you proud." He smiled sadly, meeting Tenma's eyes. "Me…my destiny was to be your son too, but just your temporary son. My purpose was to love you and make you happy. My purpose was to use my abilities to help others and protect the city. That is my destiny, and it hasn't changed. I just…just didn't expect it to be so short lived."

He took a big breath, looking down for a quick second before lifting his chin high. "What I'm trying to say is…it's okay. I'm all right with dying. I think…I think it's what is supposed to happen." He straightened his posture a little at the last word, obviously trying his best to stay strong, but the fear of what was to come did not completely leave his youthful eyes.

Tenma stared at him for a long time, aghast at the courage that his creation was displaying. Courage beyond his wildest dreams. He had never dreamed that Astro would ever understand what he was going through so completely, or know why he couldn't possibly have them both.

He was, truly, a miracle.

"You are truly an amazing robot," he whispered in awe, marveling at Astro's courage, empathy and maturity all in one.

Astro shot him a weak smile. "I should be," he laughed softly. "The greatest scientist of this age made me." He smiled at Tenma somewhat. "You're my father, Dad," he said. "I'm your son…your…creation." The words seemed to pain him slightly, but he pressed on. "This is where I belong. Nowhere else. If I can't belong here anymore…well, then I think dying is the right choice." He raised his chin boldly, straightening his shoulders in a way that showed he was ready for whatever was to come.

"I'd much rather die making you happy," he finished softly, closing his eyes as he kept his voice from wavering. "I'd much rather you got what you wanted than wandering around without somewhere to belong for all eternity. This…this is the way it _should _be. This…this is the way I want to die."

Tenma stared at him for what felt like ages, in awe of his courage and unable to tear his eyes away from his glorious creation. No, not creation, his _son._ Tears welled in his eyes and he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to go through with this. But he had to. He had Toby back now. It was time. Time to get his old life back.

"You're…you're going to let me shut you down…" Tenma whispered tentatively. "Willingly?"

Astro nodded bravely. "I think…I think that's the way it should be," he said softly, keeping his voice strong and sure.

Tenma swallowed hoarsely. Shakily, he got to his feet, feeling like he was going to faint at any moment. "F-follow me," he said shakily, forcing himself not to look at Astro as he led the way out of the house. He heard the distinct sound of Astro's metallic boots following him and each clunk of his feet meeting the floor sent another dagger into his father's heart.

They exited the building after what felt like eternity and beyond and Tenma got in his sports hovercar, the only car left out the house since Orrin was still using his limo to drop Toby off at school. He heard the door to the back open and bit his lip as he heard Astro slide into the back seat, closing the door softly behind him. Tenma half expected him to say something but he didn't, simply sitting in silence.

Tenma started the car and pulled away from the penthouse, making his way to the Ministry, just like he had countless times before. But this time it was different. This time had so much more meaning. He tried his best to focus on the road, but every so often, he found himself glancing at the rearview mirror, providing him with a reflection of Astro. He was sitting in the back with his seatbelt on like a good boy, knees pulled up to his chest and staring out the window with a forlorn look on his face. He didn't say a word, but Tenma almost wished he did, just to break the never-ending silence.

Could he really do this? Could he really shut Astro off _again? _The uncertainly that ran amok inside of him would not leave him alone, and he could not push down that cursed question. He knew it was the only way. He knew it was the only way he'd ever get his old life back. But he wasn't sure if his body could do what his brain told him to. After all, hadn't he changed his mind the moment he had done it last time? Even then, he had hesitated, and that was even before Astro had made the ultimate sacrifice. He was really starting to think that he was going to chicken out on the whole thing. But what then?

Then again, Astro had said he was okay with it. He understood. He wasn't mad. He was all right with it. He had told him so. He had said he thought this was meant to happen, that now that Toby was back, it was his time to go anyway. He had understood why Tenma felt he needed to shut him off. He understood everything like no one had ever understood Tenma, short of Esmeralda, and she was never coming back.

He was okay with it. Astro was perfectly okay with dying.

Maybe…maybe if he kept telling himself that, it would make him feel like it was okay too.

They reached the Ministry. Shakily, Tenma parked the car and turned off the ignition, stepping out like a drunk. He had never felt this unsteady in his life. His headache was at the point of serious pain now and he was feeling queasy. He put a hand on the hovercar to collect himself for a moment, and to his surprise, he felt a hand slip into his own.

He looked down at Astro's hand in his in shock, baffled that even though he was going to kill him, Astro was still willing to be there for him.

"It's all right Dad," Astro said soothingly. "It's okay. This is supposed to happen."

Tenma didn't respond. He didn't think he was physically able to. He took a big breath before moving away from the car and composing himself. Once he did, Astro's hand moved fluidly away from his, and Tenma felt like a little part inside of him died as he did. Biting his lip, he moved to head into the Ministry, refusing to look at Astro.

He didn't think he'd be able to move if he did.

He entered the building. He could hear Astro following him and he stole a glance before he could stop himself. The tiny robot was following him with his head down, feet shuffling like a prisoner, or a child who had just received a scolding. He felt like his heart was going to implode at the sight and quickly looked back in front of him, making his way toward his laboratory.

Scientists greeted him on their way, saying hi to Astro as well when he passed, oblivious to the situation. Tenma simply nodded at them, but Astro said nothing, keeping his head down, much to the various scientists' perplexment, but they said nothing on the matter and kept on their way. Tenma almost wished they had. He wished they had tried to stop him. Maybe they would've stopped him and made the decision for him, so he could finally escape this inner turmoil.

But they didn't and the pair reached Tenma's lab. The place where Astro was created. They entered and Tenma found his mouth hopelessly dry again, remembering how this was where he had labored over him for countless hours. Where he had beheld Astro for the first time.

And now, where he was going to put an end to him.

He chocked somewhat as he made his way into the main room of the lab, surprised and slightly unhappy to see Dr. Elefun there. Elefun looked up as he and Astro entered, eyes widening as he saw them, before narrowing angrily.

"NO," he said firmly, knowing exactly what Tenma was planning to do. "I won't let you!"

"It's okay Dr. Elefun," Astro said softly from behind Tenma, speaking for the first time since they had entered the Ministry. "I'm okay with it."

"But it's not okay!" Elefun exclaimed, outraged. "It isn't right! I won't let him hurt you Astro!"

Astro smiled weakly at his concern. "He's not hurting me," he assured the doctor calmly. "It's not his fault. It's not _anyone's _fault. Toby's alive….I've completed my purpose. It's time for me to go."

"That's not true," Elefun protested. "There's a place for you still. I'm sure of it!"

But Astro just shook his head. "I found where I belonged," he said quietly. "Home, with my Dad, and Orrin. In Metro City, with my friends. The city that I protect. I don't belong anywhere else…but I don't belong there anymore. My purpose is fulfilled and it's time for you, Dad, and Toby to have their lives back."

He looked down at his boots. "And it's my time too," he whispered. "My time to go."

Elefun looked extremely flustered, but he seemed to realize that there was no changing Astro's mind. He turned to Tenma. "Tenma, you can't do this," he said, looking almost frantic now. "He's your _son."_

"I know," Tenma whispered, close to tears. "I know." He took a big breath, closing his eyes before turning to Astro and opening them again, biting his lip as he looked deep into Astro's calm eyes. "I…I'm so sorry…" he whispered.

Astro smiled at him reassuringly. "Dad, I told you," he said softly. "It's fine. Really. It's okay. You have Toby back now, I…I just want you to be happy."

Elefun looked between the two of them unhappily, knowing there was not much more he could do. "There's nothing I can say to change you minds?" he said with a resigned sigh.

Tenma opened his mouth to answer him but no words came out of his mouth. Instead, he swallowed hoarsely.

Astro smiled weakly at him before locking gazes with Elefun, his brown eyes unwavering and confident. "This is what is supposed to happen," he said firmly.

Reluctantly, Elefun stepped aside, revealing the vacant, lonely lab table behind him.

Astro looked up at his father expectantly, silently asking him if he was ready.

Tenma felt like his mind was going to explode. He didn't know what to do. His mind told him to just get it over with, but his feet didn't want to move. He couldn't bring himself to bring Astro to the table. He knew, he knew once he brought Astro over there that there would be no going back, and the thought of that was paralyzing.

As if he could sense his father's hesitation, Astro walked up to the table on his own, his strides strong and confident. Quietly, he slipped himself onto the smooth metal tabletop and let his red boots dangle over the side as he looked back to his father, shooting him as reassuring of a smile as he could.

Tenma swallowed and shakily began to follow him. He moved slowly, as if in a dream, and when he reached Astro, it was like he was in another world. He was detached. Numb and unaware of his surroundings.

The two of them stared at each other for a long moment, light brown eyes meeting dark blue ones.

And then Tenma took a shaky breath and gently cupped his hand around Astro's head and legs, laying him out on the lab table. Astro didn't resist him and let him do so, looking very calm but Tenma didn't miss the flash of fear in his chocolate brown eyes as he realized the moment of his death was upon him.

He was scared. He didn't want to die. This realization hit Tenma square in the chest and he found it somewhat hard to breath. But he had to do it. He had Toby now. It was time to get his old life back.

He swallowed again to no affect, reaching out a shaky hand and lifting Astro's shirt, pressing down on his smooth chest lightly. Astro's chest hatch revealed itself and Tenma slowly opened it, exposing the Blue Core within, swirling and glowing majestically inside Astro's chest and illuminating Tenma's face.

Astro looked down at in and then back at Tenma, obviously struggling to stay calm. He still said nothing. He was trying his best to stay strong for him. Loyal to the end. Unable to look at him any longer, Tenma reverted his eyes away from him.

He knew it. He knew this was it. The moment of truth. His hand hovered over the Core, but he was hesitant to touch it. Somehow, he still couldn't bring himself to do it. Why was it so hard? _He's just a robot! _He told himself. _He's not real! JUST DO IT!_

Tenma took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

And then he grabbed the Core and yanked it out of Astro.

The moment he did it, the moment he felt the Core, by itself in his hand, he felt a wave of guilt and remorse wash over him. He chocked slightly as he realized why it was so hard. Astro was his son. Robot or no, he was still Tenma's son and he…he…

He loved him. It was true. He loved a robot.

And now…now he had killed it.

With a sound so pitiful it hurt even him to hear, Tenma looked at Astro, the Blue Core clutched tightly in his quivering hand, tears welling in his eyes. Astro was staring back at him, struggling to keep his eyes open as the power that gave him life began to fade away.

"I'm sorry," Tenma chocked, tears running down his cheeks now. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be…" Astro whispered weakly, eyes flickering. "But…Dad?"

Tenma blinked. "W-w-what?"

"Tell…tell Cora…"

Cora? Tenma didn't know who Cora was, but Astro was almost gone, so he didn't press it. "Tell Cora what Astro?"

"Tell Cora…that I…that I…"

But before he could finish his sentence he was gone, head falling to rest on its side for the last time.

Lifeless.

Tenma let out a strangled sob and turned away quickly, walking away from the table and not looking back. He couldn't bear to. Not anymore. He clutched the Core like a life line as he stumbled towards Elefun, who was staring at him solemnly, tears shinning in his eyes as well.

"Tenma?" he whispered.

"Dispose of him," Tenma said, voice cracking. "And this." He thrust the Core into Elefun's hands, refusing to look at it, eyes fixed steadily head, trying not to cry.

"Destroy it," he ordered.

"_Destroy _it?" Elefun exclaimed, looking horrified. "Tenma, what are you _saying_? This—this is the most powerful object ever found! This Core can work miracles! An Astro. Astro's the greatest, strongest robot ever made! You can't just throw him out like he's trash!"

"Yes I can," Tenma said forcefully. "I created him; I can do whatever I want with him." His last couple words wavered a little bit, as if he was trying to convince himself too. "Besides, I can just make another robot that is just as powerful as he was. As for the Core, I don't care what you do with it just…just get it out of my sight!"

Tears came now, fast and furious. He could not stop them, and rather than stay there another second, he fled, rushing out of the lab and leaving Elefun alone, clutching the glowing Blue Core in his hand.

.

.

**(A/N: All right! Couple notes on this chapter, centering around Tenma mostly. Firstly, you guys might have noticed that this chapter seemed pretty jumbled and all over the place. I did this on purpose. Throughout most of the chapter—until Astro appears, that is—it is mostly Tenma's thoughts and inner turmoil. Even after Astro appears, it is still mostly Tenma. As I'm sure you guys all know, thoughts generally aren't organized. Neither are Tenma's, especially in this chapter, when he is so conflicted, confused and unsure. So that is why there is so many fragments in this and seemingly random, jumping around bits of information.**

**Secondly: characterization. This is, I'm sure you've noticed, a major chapter, so I wanted to get the feel of both Astro and Tenma—plus Elefun when he's in it—just right. I figured Tenma would be all over the place. Sometimes about to lose it, sometimes very sure and confident in his decision, sometimes like he is going to rip his hair out from the uncertainty, guilt and turmoil running through him. Astro, I thought, would be calmer. He already decided his fate last chapter and is not backing down, determined to go through with it bravely and be there for his father until his final moments—although inside he is still a little kid. He is scared of what is to come and does not want to die. Elefun, I thought, would definitely be opposed to the idea of Astro being shut off but helpless to change Astro's mind and deep down knows that he is right. There is no other place for Astro to belong but at home with his father and friends in Metro City, and now that he couldn't anymore, he had nowhere else to go. He just doesn't like it and doesn't want to face the facts because he loves Astro too much and hates seeing someone so amazing and caring and humble meet an end like this.**

**So yeah, that's just my musings and thoughts, just thought I'd let you guys know. Thank you for those of you that actually took the time to read all that. Thanks for reading!)**


	10. Where Are You Astro?

**(A/N: Helloo everybody! Sorry this chapter is a little short, and I know it isn't a big one jam-packed with exciting new developments like you were hoping, but it's a necessary chap, so bear with me please. To clarify a little before you read, this chapter is from Cora's POV during the time that Astro was offline after his little suicide stunt, and during the time in chapter 7 where Toby is getting back in the swing of things, although after that, much later at night.**

**On a side note, I'm going to be on vacation for ten days and may or may not have wifi, so a) I won't be updating for a little while and b) it might take me a little bit to return PM's or reviews. Still feel free to contact me though, I'll get back to you when I can!**

**Special thanks to: starwarrior4ever, Magicalmayhem, KaylahDemi, Vi-Violence, Nintendomadd, Josh Spicer, Toby Tenma, Chaos Infinity-X, moviegal99, Renesmee5550123, ALLS96, Desiree Phantom, crazy jaky, Evil Unicorn Overlord, Phantom Believer990, Harry. Potter. Is. BOSS, and AstroGirl101 for reviewing! You guys are amazing! 143 reviews, OMG! THANK YOU!) **

**Cora's POV:**

Cora stood on the balcony attached to her bedroom, looking out over the city, hands clutching the cool railing in a tight grip. Biting her lip, she closed her eyes, letting the wind blow through her short black hair and calm her frantic heart.

Astro had promised to visit her a whole day ago.

It was now 11:55 P.M on Monday. Astro had left her at 11:26 P.M the night before, on Sunday. She knew. She had checked.

He had promised that he'd visit her today. That's what he had said. She _knew _that's what he had said. She had relived that night so many times already in her head she knew everything he had said by heart.

_She smiled at him, before looking down. "So…I'll see you tomorrow?"_

_Astro blinked twice, dazed. "Um yeah. Tomorrow," he said._

He promised. He promised he would visit her.

She had waited for him. She had waited the entire day, not leaving the apartment once. Her eyes had flickered to the window every five minutes or so, no matter where she was in the house. It had driven her mother nuts.

She had never seen Astro as someone who wouldn't keep a promise. Or not keep one without at least dropping by and telling her why he couldn't. Astro didn't break promises. It was out of his nature.

It worried her. Seriously worried her.

What if something had happened to him? The thought was petrifying, but Cora could not seem to get it out of her mind. Something _must _have happened to him for him not to have shown. The thought sent surges of fear through her.

Where was he? Was he hurt? Had something attacked him, shut him off? Had something happened to the Core? Had it run out of power? Had it been stolen from him?

The worries and possibilities were too numerous and too worrisome for her to think about. She had tried distracting herself, but nothing had helped. Her mind always wondered back to him.

It had never been that way before. She hadn't been so fixated with him like this, even after the Peacekeeper. But last night…last night had been so _magical. _So unreal, like something out of a fairy tale. Everything else her mind had been preoccupied with before seemed so unimportant and dwarfed compared to the magic she had experienced last night. She had _flown! _She had soared above the clouds, seen the stars up close and seen the city from hundreds of feet up in the air! Something like that didn't happen every day.

And they had kissed. Her first ever kiss. It had been even more amazing than she had imagined. She scarcely believed that she had been so bold, but she didn't regret it in the slightest.

He hadn't pulled away. He had been surprised, but he hadn't pulled away. He had held her hand, his firm grip steadying her as their lips met for the first time. His lips had been colder than she had expected, less fleshy, she thought, than a humans might have been. But it wasn't unpleasant. Not in the slightest. It didn't matter he wasn't human. He was _her _robot, and those were _his _lips, not anyone else's.

That's all she cared about.

She sighed, putting her weight on her arms as she lifted her feet of the ground and swung a bit on the balcony railing, eyes closed, remembering her flight again.

_Oh Astro, _she thought silently. _Where are you?_

A loud knock on her door brought Cora roughly back to reality. Frowning, she put her feet back on the floor and moved away from the railing, looking back into her bedroom. "Come in!" she called.

The door opened and her mother entered the room, dark hair up in a ponytail and a concerned expression on her face.

"Hi honey," she said, crossing the bedroom and coming out to the balcony almost tentatively, stopping just at the archway between the room and the terrace. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Cora said shortly, going back over to the railing and staring out at the city, purposely not looking at her mother.

"You don't seem fine," Mrs. Sable comment quietly. "You haven't seemed fine all day."

Cora didn't say anything, simply staring out at the city lights, face passive.

Mrs. Sable stared at her for a long time. "It's that robot, isn't it," she stated finally, a slight edge to her tone.

Cora still said nothing, but her grip tightened angrily on the railing.

Her mother sighed. "Cora, you need to get _over _that stupid little machine!"

"He's _not _just a machine," Cora growled, still refusing to look at her.

Mrs. Sable rolled her eyes. "That doesn't change the fact that he _is _a machine, Cora," she argued. "He doesn't have a heart. He doesn't have feelings. They're all programmed. He doesn't feel for you like you feel for him."

"YES HE DOES!" Cora exploded, whipping her head around, eyes blazing. "He _has _feelings. _Real _feelings, not programmed. I know it. And he _does _have a heart. He has the Blue Core."

Her mom blinked in surprise and confusion. "The what?"

"The Blue Core," Cora explained, turning away again. She felt slightly bad about revealing the information about Astro's power source to her mother, but she also feel the overwhelming need to defend him. "It's a piece of an asteroid. It's pure positive energy that gives him his energy. It's what allows him to feel and be so human-like."

_We think,_ Cora added silently to herself. She didn't dare to let herself say it out loud. She didn't want her mother to know her doubts on Astro. What if his feelings weren't real? She couldn't prove that they were, and neither could Astro.

But she wouldn't let herself think like that. Astro's feelings were real.

They had to be.

Mrs. Sable was obviously shocked by this new information. "And you saw this…Blue Core?" she asked, aghast.

Cora nodded. "And touched it," she added. "It felt…Mom it felt so _wonderful. _Unlike anything I've ever felt." She smiled. "Nothing that feels like _that _can be bad," she said confidently. "He's not a normal robot Mom. He's special."

"I…well…" her mother sputtered, struggling to find solid ground on her argument. "That still doesn't change anything," she said finally. "He's still a robot. A dangerous robot, at that. You need to get over him before he hurts you…either emotionally or physically. I will not have some filthy robot hurting my daughter."

"He's _not _filthy," Cora growled. "And he won't hurt me. Astro is the most humble, gentle person I know."

"But he isn't a _person _Cora!" Mrs. Sable exploded. "Why can't you get that through your head? He isn't _human!"_

Cora bit her lip, eyes flashing as she gripped the railing with white knuckles. "You don't understand," she said venomously. "You'll _never _understand."

Cora's mother sighed, realizing that she would never be able to get through to her. "Think what you want," she said sharply. "You'll have to see reason eventually. But believe it or not, that's not why I came up here. I wanted to tell you that you'll be going back to school tomorrow."

Cora didn't react outwardly to her mother's words, but inside, her heart plummeted. School? She didn't want to go to school!

"So they cleared all the rubble away then?" she asked, voice flat and emotionless. Last she had heard, the school had been half-buried in debris from a building next door that had collapsed partly during Astro's battle with the Peacekeeper.

Mrs. Sable shook her head. "They're still trying to clear it and assess the damage, so they've relocated it temporarily."

Cora frowned, unhappy at the news. She didn't say anything, hoping her mother would just leave so she could be alone.

Her mother opened her mouth for a moment, possibly to give Cora another lecture on Astro, but before she could speak there was another knock on the door.

Cora seized the opportunity. "Come in!" she called.

The door opened and Zane poked his head in, mouth open as if to say something, though he quickly closed it when he saw Mrs. Sable. "Um…" he said awkwardly. "Am I interrupting…?"

"No, it's okay Zane," Mrs. Sable said with a sigh, starting to leave. "I was just leaving. We can talk further later Cora." She gave her daughter a quick glance over her shoulder before she left, slamming the door a little roughly behind her.

A stony silence met her departure.

Zane approached Cora cautiously, walking out onto the balcony quietly and slowly. Cora didn't move as he came near and instead kept staring out at the city.

Zane could obviously see her distress and looked fairly concerned, though still rather cautious. Cora was known to have an explosive temper when she was upset.

"Um…" he ventured tentatively. "Are you…are you okay?"

Cora shook her head. "No," she said shakily, fighting back tears. "No, I'm not okay." She chocked slightly. "Why didn't he come Zane? He promised he would come."

"Maybe something just came up," Zane suggested, uncomfortable seeing Cora this way. It was very unlike her to become so upset. "Don't worry about it."

"But what if something's _happened _to him?" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. Zane could see what was bothering her now. She didn't know what to do. Cora was a woman of action, and she absolutely _hated _being at loss of what to do. "What if something _horrible _has happened to him Zane?"

"I'm sure he's fine," Zane said calmly, crossing his arms and leaning against the railing. "I mean, this _is _Astro we're talking about, right? The super powerful robot?"

Cora sighed. "I guess you're right," she said. "It's just…he promised."

Zane didn't know quite what to say to that. This was already a very awkward situation as it was, so he decided saying nothing was the best decision.

Cora simply sighed again. "What did you want to tell me Zane?" she asked.

"Tell you?" he echoed, surprised. "Oh! I was just gonna tell you that you have to go to school tomorrow. They've relocated while they fix the other one."

Cora nodded. "Yeah, I heard," she said, before frowning, eyes narrowed. "Hey!" she exclaimed, wheeling around to glare at Zane. "Wait a minute! Why don't _you _have to go to school?"

Zane smirked. "I do," he said. "But not yet. I can't go into the grade normal for my age group."

Cora frowned. "Why not?"

Zane rolled his eyes. "'Cause I'm eelaterate, member?"

Cora blinked, smirking somewhat. "You mean illiterate," she corrected him slowly.

"Whatever," Zane said, shrugging. "Anyway, I don't have to go to school until they figure out what to do with me."

"That's not fair!" Cora whined.

Zane grinned. "Sucks for you," he laughed.

Cora slapped him affectionately on the head. "You're a goofball, you know that?" she said, smiling a little.

Zane smiled. "Aw, you know you love me Cora," he said, elbowing her.

Cora smiled somewhat. "Yeah, I guess," she admitted. "You're the best fake-bro I could get, huh?"

"And you're the best fake sis," Zane said, smirking.

They smiled at each other, playfully elbowing one another as they laughed and wrestled, just like old times back on the Surface. Cora found that is felt good to do that again, and she was grateful for the distraction. It made her less anxious about Astro.

After a while, they stopped wrestling and looked out over the city together, watching the twinkling blue lights of the majestic buildings. "I'm sure school won't be so bad," Zane said, shrugging. "Who knows? Maybe Astro will be there."

Cora sighed. "Yeah, maybe," she said. "I hope so. That way, I can slap him upside the head for making me worry so much."

Zane laughed. "Have fun with that," he said, pushing away from the railing. "I'm gonna go. Sludge believes he can best me in a race on Ultimate HCL Hover Car Racing on the PS3000. He's scheduled to have his butt kicked."

Cora raised an eyebrow. "You're gonna play video games at _this _time of night?"

Zane smirked. _"I'm _not the one who has to go to school tomorrow," he pointed out.

Cora rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said. "I'll see you later."

Zane nodded, murmuring a "Bye,"before he began to make a beeline the door. Before he could leave though, Cora yelled "Hey, Zane!"

Zane turned around, hand on the door knob. "What?"

"Thanks…" Cora said slowly. "For…for making me feel better. It means a lot."

Zane grinned. "Glad I can help…sis."

He said sis like it was a foreign, rather awkward word, but Cora's smile widened nonetheless. She was so happy to have Zane as an adopted brother. "You too bro," she said.

Zane smiled, turning to leave again.

"Oh, and Zane?"

Zane turned again. "Yeah?"

"Once you beat Sludge, save a game for me, will ya? I wanna see your face when you eat my hover dust."

Zane smirked wide, eyes twinkling mischievously. "You are so _on_," he laughed. The faint yell of Sludge calling for him to hurry up came from somewhere out the door and Zane yelled a quick "Coming!" before throwing another sly grin at Cora and disappearing out the door.

Cora watched him go with a smile, before going back out to the balcony. Her smile slipped somewhat as she met the cool air of the night again, her worries about Astro returning. Clutching the railing, she leaned out, feeling the wind through her hair and exposed skin, just like she had the night before, when he had been here with her.

"Oh Astro," she whispered. "Where are you?"

.

.

**(A/N: So, couple character notes on this chap. One being Cora's worry about Astro. I wanted to be extra careful on this because I don't want to turn Cora into the sobby, weak girlfriend. Then she would be OOC and you—as well as me—would all be very mad at me/myself. But I also wanted to show her worry for Astro, since I do believe that she would be worried and that their kiss and flight the night before would still be fresh in her mind, making her even more worried. So I tried to make that apparent. Upon review, I don't think she got that OOC, just briefly letting her worry show through, before she went back to her spunky, witty self with Zane.**

**On that note, we have Zane. I wanted to get him in the story a bit more, and show the relationship between him and Cora. I was aiming for a brother/sister dynamic, since they aren't romantically involved, but obviously very close. I wanted Zane to show obvious understanding of Cora and her personality, though still not sure how to comfort her, because that is a little out of his comfort zone. To clear things up a bit there too, if you recall from chapter 2, the Sable's—Cora's parents—adopted everybody from the orphanage, although most chose to stay on the Surface either a) because they wanted to or b) because there wasn't enough room in the Sable's apartment. Mostly, Grace, the twins, Zane and Cora are the only ones who stay in the apartment but the others tend to visit frequently and come and go as they please. Because everyone was adopted though, this makes Zane Cora's adopted brother, hence the fake-bro, fake-sis part and other mentions between the two throughout the chapter. Hope that clarifies for those of you that were like "Huh?"**

**So yeah, there we go! Thanks for reading!)**


	11. It's a Small World After All

**(A/N: Annnd I'm back from vacation! :D Yay! Thank you guys for waiting and I hope you all enjoy! 158 reviews, 44 favs, and 42 alerts! AHH! YOU GUYS ARE TOO AWESOME FOR WORDS!**

**Special Thanks To: Kayslay, TheCaramelSecrets, bug2buga, Vi-Violence, PhantomBeliever990, moviegal99, Renesmee5550123, Desiree Phantom, ALLS96, AstroGirl101, RainbowFactory, Mira Kial, and Harry. Potter. Is. BOSS! YOU GUYS RULE!**

**By the way, anyone notice the cover? I made it myself. *shameless proud face***

**Enjoy!) **

**Toby's POV: **

Toby got out of his father's limo slowly, clutching his bag tightly as his eyes swept the temporary school. It didn't look much like a school, but then again, it wasn't a building that classified a school with a school-like feeling. It was the kids that went there and the teachers that taught there that made all the difference.

Whether it was a good difference or a bad difference depended.

Toby hoped it would be a good difference.

But he had a feeling that with what had happened during his Time Away—as he had begun to call it—that any school bully around, new or old, wasn't going to leave him alone.

But he could hope, right?

"Good-bye Master Toby," Orrin said, smiling from behind the wheel. "Have a good day at school! I'll be here to pick you up as soon as the last bell rings."

Toby mustered a smile. "Thanks Orrin," he said. "I'll see you then."

He watched as Orrin pulled away and sped off, before turning around, taking a big breath.

Have a good day at school.

Yeah. Right.

He sighed, deciding it was best just to break the ice and get it over with. Keeping his head down, he made his way into the makeshift school yard, trying to stay inconspicuous. He desperately wished he had his Ministry of Science hat with him, to at least hide his identity a bit, but he still hadn't been able to find it, which was weird. He had no idea where it might have gone.

To his relief, no one gave him a second glance as he found an out of the way spot by a tree to set his bag down and pull out his holo-pad. The majority of the students seemed to be enjoying themselves climbing over a few pieces of rubble that had yet to be cleared away from the battle, jumping off of it and clambering all around the junk like it was a jungle gym. Part of Toby wanted to join them, but the other part wanted him to simply relax and maybe read a book on Quantum Physics while he waited for the bell to ring to get to first period.

Not that he knew where his first period was. Pulling out his schedule, Toby read it through and memorized the room numbers; confident he'd be able to remember so he could find them without looking like an idiot by stopping in the middle of the hallway to pull out his schedule again. He wasn't too worried though, since it was everybody's first day at the new school anyhow. No one knew where they were going.

Stuffing his schedule out of sight, Toby lost himself in his book.

All too soon, the bell rang for first period.

Sighing, Toby got to his feet, putting his holo-pad back into his pack and joining the mass flow of students making their way in the building...if it could be called that. All it was was an old abandoned—and slightly drafty—warehouse they had made into a temporary school. The crowd filed into the slightly chilly uncarpeted building regardless though and most everybody, it seemed, were with friends, chatting away about pointless things that they had done over the extended break. Toby didn't try to make conversation, simply keeping to himself. He didn't have any friends to chat with. He never had. He was the smart kid, the son of the famous Bill Tenma—the genius whose intelligence everyone was jealous of and all the bullies picked on. Not many people wanted to be friends with him—or if they did, all they wanted was to leech homework answers off of him.

Toby didn't mind not have friends really. Well, he _did_ mind but he told himself he didn't. He had always sort of wished he had a friend to talk to. He wanted someone to vent to whenever he felt lonely and abandoned by his father, or when he felt excluded from society and his peers because of his genius. He was always lonely and always simply the observer of other kids his age having fun with their friends. He wanted to have that happiness too…but in his mind, he figured, the smart ones-the kids that will be leading figures of Metro City in the future- don't need friends and shouldn't dwell in things of nonsense like 'hanging out' and shopping. No, Toby figured he was better off on his own anyway.

Though no matter how much he told himself that it never stopped him from longing for someone to talk with. Someone, maybe, that was at his intellect level. Someone that understood him and that he could be himself around without being ridiculed, bullied or simply leeched off of.

But apparently that was too much to ask for in today's society.

With that thought in mind, Toby's mind wandered to Astro. He wondered….could the robot copy of him that he had met so briefly the other night be the impossible friend he secretly wished for? It was possible, he figured, as Astro was a replica of himself and _was _incredibly like him. He reasoned that Astro's artificial intelligence combined with whatever smarts he had picked up simply by experience would be close, if not a mirror, of his own. After all, he had all of Toby's memories up to the day Toby's own memories stopped before he had awaken in the street…or at least somewhere close.

Toby frowned a bit as he pondered this idea, thinking back to his first and only meeting with Astro, in his bedroom. Astro had known what clothes he was going to pick before he had said it. He had known that Toby never wore PJs. Toby had no doubt that Astro was just as smart as he was, and although Toby had not mentioned anything of his personal feelings or his secret wish for a friend, he had no doubt that Astro knew about and understood it. He had all of Toby's memories, so he probably already knew about the longing. He had no doubt that Astro would understand it and how neglected he felt from his father.

Astro was the perfect candidate for a friend, Toby realized. Wholly and completely perfect, actually. The only complication was that Astro wasn't human, and that he could also fly and turn his arm into a laser cannon and a bunch of other inhuman things.

Oh. And the fact that he was currently AWOL.

But besides those small details…Astro could really be a potential confident, Toby figured. He didn't think he really minded that he was a robot. In fact, Toby thought that Astro's abilities were super cool and he was a bit jealous… he really wanted rocket boots like that, and stored a mental note in the back of his mind to start a project to make some. Also, Astro seemed to be a very independent, smart and an incredibly human-like robot because of his programming to be a human and because of the Blue Core, which Astro seemed to think was the reason behind his independence and non-robotic personality.

Toby smiled a bit as he considered all this. Astro might just be the person—well, robot—that he needed, now that he thought about it. He really wasn't like a robot at all, except the fact that he was artificial and had superhuman powers. Really, he was like Toby's identical twin. They looked the same and they thought basically the same, just not exactly.

Actually, now that he thought about it, Toby had always wanted a brother. A sibling he could play with and talk to. A robot twin wasn't _that _much different was it?

In his mind, it really wasn't, and with that thought in mind, Toby found his first period class, entering it with some other kids his age, smiling a bit as he did.

He hoped Astro showed up soon, because he wanted to talk to him. He wanted to get to know him a little bit more than he did currently and maybe get his hands on Astro's blueprints so he could see the full extent of the robot's abilities.

Then—maybe—he might just have himself a brother…and a friend.

It was a long shot still and Toby wouldn't mention it to anyone just yet. But the idea wasn't unpleasant in the slightest.

After all, what was better than a twin brother that could fly and drill through solid rock?

In his mind, nothing.

~O~

First period went down just about how Toby had figured it would.

Badly.

Of course, once he was out of a big crowd that he could blend in with, everyone recognized him.

But not as Toby.

Toby had simply sighed as he explained a bit irritably to his class _and _his teacher that he was, in fact, _not _Astro and _not _a robot, and explained how he had not, in fact, died when the Peacekeeper supposedly killed him and how he had been released when it was destroyed. The class had seemed skeptical to begin with but once it became clear that Toby was not robotic in the slightest, they believed his explanation and actually looked a bit disappointed.

Toby didn't really care what they thought. All he wanted was for them to leave him alone.

Once it had been established that Toby was just a normal kid, class went back to boring normal, and after a couple minutes into the teachers renewed lecture, all the kids lost interest in him again. Toby was a bit relieved. He hated all the attention. Or at least, _that _kind of attention. He loved it when people praised his intelligence. But attention because people thought he was a robot copy of himself? Toby was already sick and tired of being mistaken for Astro. It was extremely annoying that they cared more about the robot than him.

Not that it was Astro's fault. He figured that it was to be expected, now that Astro was known for saving the city. He hoped that once the school figured out that he wasn't Astro that all the annoying mistaking of identity would die down at least somewhat so he could have some peace.

Finally, after what had felt like an eternity of listening to lectures and watching videos talking about information that Toby had learned by heart _ages _ago, lunch came around.

It was a relief to sit down at a secluded table by himself and pull out his holo-pad, biting into the sandwich Orrin had made for him while he lost himself in his Physics book again. He was already looking forward for the end of the day. School hadn't changed in the slightest and was still a complete drag.

The only upside had been gym class. Toby smiled as he remembered.

_Toby stood against the wall of the make-shift gym, a long abandoned, empty room of the warehouse that had been temporarily filled with small amounts of gym equipment for classes. Toby didn't know what they were doing yet, and didn't really care. He hated gym like every other nerd, and simply wanted to get it over with._

_ While he waited for class to start, he groaned inwardly to see the school bully, Gedy, coming toward him, flocked by two of his cronies, Dug and Taz. _

_ This was going to end badly._

_ Deciding fleeing was futile, Toby stayed where he was as Gedy reached him, a happy sneer on his face._

_ "Hey Tenma," the buff bully said, cracking his knuckles in a showy manner. "Nice to see you again. I was happy to hear that my favorite punching bag was back in town."_

_ Toby was about to sigh and simply let whatever Gedy came to do to him to happen quickly, when a sudden idea hit him._

_ Oh, he was a total genius._

_ "What are you talking about?" he said, putting on a confused and slightly insulted expression on his face. "Who are you?"_

_ Gedy frowned, looking confused by Toby's strange behavior. Toby could practically see the gears turning in his small brain as he tried to figure out what was going on._

_ "I'm Gedy!" he said mightily. "Pummler of the weak and nerdy. Don't play smart with me, rich-kid Tenma."_

_ But Toby wasn't done. "Why do you keep calling me that?" he said rather hotly. "My name is not Tenma. It's Astro."_

_ Immediately, Gedy's face froze in horror. A noise halfway between an exclamation and a whimper escaped his lips and Dug and Taz simply gaped at him._

_ "Astro?" Dug echoed. "Ain't that the name tha' robot tha' beat up tha' real big robot called himself?"_

_ "Y-yeah," Taz echoed. "An'…an'…he DID look just like 'im…"_

_ Toby crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. "May I help you guys?" he asked, raising an eyebrow._

_ All three of their eyes widened in horror. "N-n-no, Mr. Astro sir," Gedy said, backing away hurriedly, Dug and Taz in tow. "We…we were….just messin' with ya! Yeah! We didn't mean nuttin…"_

_ "I sure hope not," Toby said, putting an emphasis on the hope. "And I also hope that you haven't been messing with my brother Toby either."_

_ The three goons look horrified. "Of course not!" Gedy laughed nervously. "He…he hasn't said anythin' 'bout us botherin' 'im…has he?"_

_ Toby shrugged. "Not yet," he said, and a look of relief washed over the bully's face. "But if I hear anything about you bullying him…well…they say I'm the most advanced robot yet."_

_ A look of plain fear crossed all three of their faces. "We won't touch 'em!" Gedy swore quickly. "I swear!"_

_ "You better not," Toby said, holding down a laugh that was rising in his throat. This was too funny. "Now scram."_

_ Immediately, the three bullies turned and ran like scared puppies with their tails between their legs._

_ Toby was starting to think that Astro looking just like him might not be so bad after all._

Sitting at the lunch table now, Toby grinned at the memory. It certainly had been a highlight of the day, and Gedy and his gang had not bothered him since, even when they had seen him in the hallway just last period. Toby couldn't help but laugh when their eyes had widened in fear at the sight of him and beamed all the way to lunch after they scurried away like scared little girls.

He would have to remember to thank Astro for that one when he saw him next.

If he did, which he hoped he would. Astro would have to show up eventually, right?

He figured he must, so Toby didn't worry about it as he returned to his sandwich and lost himself in his book again, peacefully blissful and alone.

That was, until, he was rudely interrupted by a hard slap on the back of his head.

Whirling around, Toby glared at the deliverer of the blow in anger, clutching his suddenly throbbing head.

"What was that for?" he exclaimed angrily, shooting daggers at a girl about his age with short spiky black hair adorned with pink highlights in front of him.

"For being a jerk and making me worry about you!" the girl snapped, arms crossed over her chest angrily. "You better have one amazing explanation for breaking your promise, mister."

Toby stared at the girl in confusion. "Um, I have no idea what you're talking about," he said slowly, giving her a look that clearly said 'cuckoo'. "I have no idea who you are and I've never seen you before."

"Don't you _dare _play stupid with _me,_" the girl snarled. "Now spill."

Toby just stared at her. Long and hard. "All right, I give up," he said finally. "Who are you?"

The girl's expression darkened and Toby had an unexplainable feeling of dread wash over him.

"That's it," the girl said irritably, grabbing his arm as if to drag him with her. "You're coming with me until you tell me why you—"

She broke off suddenly, expression changing from one of anger to one of shock. For a moment, she simply stared at him with wide blue eyes, still holding his arm in a death grip, before letting go of it suddenly and reeling back like she had been burned.

Toby simply stared at her in slight curiosity and bewilderment, rubbing his now-throbbing arm.

The girl backed up a step, exhaling sharply as she stared at Toby in obvious shock and horror.

"You're…y-you're not Astro," she breathed, looking almost faint.

Toby was slightly taken aback by this, surprised that she knew, since it seemed no one else had been able to tell him and his robot copy apart. "No, I'm not," he said without thinking, before narrowing his eyes in sudden realization.

"Wait a minute," he said, frowning. "Is that what that was about? You thought I was the robot?"

"I…you…" the girl said shakily, looking rattled. She glanced down at the hand she had touched Toby with, before looking back up at him, striking blue eyes shining with something Toby didn't recognize. "You're _human_," she got out.

Toby blinked. Okay, this was really weird. "Er, yeah," he said.

The girl took another step back, seeming to have regained control over herself, expression becoming guarded. "Who are you?" she asked, voice hard, almost accusatory.

Toby furrowed his brow. "Toby," he said truthfully, not knowing how else to respond. "Toby Tenma."

A look of shock flashed across the girls' face, before disappearing as suddenly as it had come, her face returning to cold guardedness. "I don't believe you," she growled. "Astro told me he was dead."

Toby's mouth fell open a bit. "You know Astro?" he asked in surprise. So far, he hadn't talked to anyone that had actually _known _Astro. Besides seeing him fly by or something. Then again, he hadn't exactly talked to that many people. Who _was _this girl?

The girl seemed to not have expected this. "Um, yeah," she said, looking uncomfortable with the situation and unsure of her position in it.

"Who are you?" Toby asked, studying the girl more closely now. She was tall, athletic looking and…_and beautiful, _Toby realized with a jolt. _She's gorgeous._

Wait, had he really just thought that?

Toby had never thought a girl was gorgeous before. Pretty, maybe.

But not gorgeous.

The girl seemed to think about his question for a moment before answering. "I'm Cora," she said finally, after a second of hesitation. "Cora Sable."

Toby blinked in surprise as he recognized the name.

_Cora! _So _this _was the girl Astro had been talking about!

"So _you're _Cora," Toby said thoughtfully, more to himself than to her.

Cora's eyes widened a bit in surprise. "You know me?" she said.

Toby nodded. "Yeah…uh…Astro mentioned you," he explained, looking into her startling blue eyes as he did. He saw a shift in them at the mention of his counterpart. It reminded Toby strikingly of the look that had been in Astro's eyes when he had mentioned her the other night.

` It bothered him for some reason.

"You talked to Astro?" she breathed, as if she didn't dare believe it. "When? Where is he? Is he okay?"

Toby was taken aback by the obvious concern in her voice. "Um, I don't know," he said truthfully. "He disappeared two nights ago."

Cora looked horrified. "D-disappeared?" she spluttered, eyes as big as coins. "Where did he go?"

Toby shrugged. "Beats me," he said. "Dad's avoiding the subject but…I…I think he was a little….upset about my return." Toby hadn't thought a whole lot on it. He was a robot for crying out loud, he'd get over it. But he had obviously been upset and Toby couldn't fathom any other reason for why he left.

Cora stared at him without seeing him, a mixture of emotions shinning in her eyes. Toby couldn't quite decipher them all as they flicked passed, one by one. "No wonder he never showed up…" she mumbled to herself, before meeting Toby's eyes, her vision focusing.

She exhaled sharply, looking troubled. "You're…you're really Toby?" she asked softly, as if she couldn't quite believe that it was true. "The kid that Astro was modeled after?"

Toby wasn't completely comfortable with how she had worded that question, but he nodded. "Um, yeah," he said, not sure what else he was supposed to say.

Cora still hadn't broke eye contact and the icy blue orbs for eyes seemed to dig a hole in him. "And you're…human?" she asked shakily, as if just for confirmation.

Two thoughts flashed through Toby's mind at that. The first was that he was pretty sure that they had been over this already and that Cora must either be loopy or simply needed another verbal confirmation of his humanity for whatever reason. The second was: What had the world come to when people started questioning whether he was homo sapien or not?

Deciding that it was better for his health and everybody else's for him _not _to dwell on that, he simply nodded, mumbling an affirmative "Yeah," and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Cora looked fairly disturbed by all this and Toby was once again at loss of how to take that.

"How?" she whispered faintly, her azul eyes wide. "How are you alive? Astro told me you were vaporized by the Peacekeeper!"

Toby sighed. He was getting really tired of explaining that.

"They _thought _I was vaporized," he said tersely. "But I wasn't. I was absorbed…or at least, that's what we are pretty sure happened. I don't really remember."

"Absorbed…" Cora echoed faintly, eyes distant. "When the Peacekeeper was destroyed…"

Toby nodded; impressed she had figured that out. "When Astro destroyed the Peacekeeper, I was released," he confirmed.

Cora opened her mouth and then closed it, obviously finally at loss of what to say.

There was long, tense and awkward silence between them. In it, Toby studied her. He could see why Astro liked her. She was very pretty, and Toby found he had a hard time looking away from her captivating eyes…they were the color of the sky just before dusk.

He had never really talked to a girl for so long before. He'd always been the nerdy, techy one and had never had much interest in girls. But Cora…Cora was different. She was gorgeous. He guessed it made sense he liked the same girl as his robot counterpart, since he was almost positive Astro did. It didn't take a genius to see the affection…on either end. Cora was clearly worried about him. _Really _worried. And she had mentioned something about Astro promising to meet up with her. Toby had no doubt she cared about him.

With a small frown, Toby recalled the look in Astro's eyes two nights ago. He was obviously deeply in love with her, a love so unguarded and out there that it clearly surpassed Toby's attraction to the girl. It was almost scary. And it seemed Cora felt the same way for him, Toby realized with an inner sigh.

Whatever those two had been through together, Toby concluded, it was special. It had to be for Astro, a robot, to feel so passionate about her. He doubted he had a chance.

Figures. A pretty girl comes around and she's already taken. By a robot that looks just like him, no less.

But that didn't mean he couldn't leave his options open, right? After all, Astro was AWOL and well…she sure was pretty. All the other girls in the school—at least in Toby's eyes—were dimwits. He'd never given them a second thought. But Cora didn't look girly in the slightest, much more boyish, and she was obviously intelligent. Toby had never met a girl that had struck him as smart before.

It was intriguing at best. Disappointing at worst. But Toby was no fool and knew that fighting Astro for her was fruitless. Either she'd like him for him, or there wasn't any hope. He guessed that was the downfall that came with being a genius and figuring the outcomes of situations before they happened—opposed to running into a situation blind and trying to use muscle to get what he wanted, like it seemed most boys did. Idiots.

For now, he'd just keep it to himself and see how things turned out. Astro was him after all, and he_ had_ been really nice to him, even after Toby's father had practically rejected him because of his reappearance. Toby might be impulsive at times…but he wasn't heartless.

The silence between him and Cora was getting to be incredibly lengthy now, and the uncomfortableness grew with each passing second.

Cora was obviously trying to hold back her distress and Toby felt bad for her. Obviously, this all had come as a bit of a shock. "I…probably should go," she said all of a sudden, avoiding looking at him. "Bye."

"Um, bye," Toby managed to say before she was gone.

He watched her weave among the lunch tables expertly, before she disappeared into the thicket of the lunch line.

This just kept getting more and more interesting…

~O~

**Tenma's POV:**

Tenma was back in his desk chair, not sure what to do with himself. His emotions were out of control, and any effort he had exerted to regain the reins on them had been fruitless. He was exhausted. He was upset. His latest experiment lay in angry ruins, a testimony to his state of mind.

But worst of all were the flashbacks. Flashbacks of Astro. Lying there. Dead.

He found himself crying softly, knees up to his chest and shoes that he had forgotten to take off on the chair. He shook a bit as he clutched strands of brown hair on his head for support.

What had he done? He had killed him. His son. His son his son hissonhissonhisson.

He killed him. He was gone. Gonegonegonegonegonegone.

A small squeak of a wheel made Tenma jump violently.

"Sir?" Orrin ventured tentatively.

"Go away, Orrin," Tenma hissed, eyes shut tight, salty tears leaking through them.

"But, sir…y-your work…"

With a crack only Tenma could hear, something inside the brilliant scientist snapped.

"I SAID GO AWAY YOU STUPID ROBOT!" Tenma roared, finally losing it.

Orrin eyes widened in horror and hurt and he booked it out of the room. Fast.

Tenma watched him go, breathing heavy and eyes bloodshot. Turning, he looked at his reflection in the computer screen and grimaced. He was a mess.

_C'mon Tenma, _he yelled at himself inwardly. _It's over! No use moping! Get up and get back to work!_

But that was easier said than done. Gritting his teeth, Tenma got up from his chair and went to the bathroom, turning on the faucet and splashing cold, freezing water on his face. It woke him up somewhat and he felt a little less woozy.

Taking a couple repetitive, deep breaths, Tenma closed his eyes temporarily, before reopening them. He took a comb to his matted hair and ran a wet wash cloth over his red eyes to soften them. Then he shrugged off his lab coat and retreated to his room, figuring that the only thing worth anything at the moment was a nap.

He had just undid the covers and moved to shut off the lights when the unmistakable noise of his phone going off filled his ears. Tenma winced a bit at the sound, shutting his eyes tight for a long second, before sighing and abandoning the soft covers of his bed and pulling his phone out of his jacket.

He stared at the caller ID for a moment, eyes widening a bit at the name that displayed itself on the bright blue screen.

**Christopher Logan (President)**

Tenma exhaled sharply, staring at the name in both shock in horror. He was in no shape to talk to the newly appointed President of Metro City now!

But he couldn't exactly ignore it. All Ministry of Science employees are required to have fully-charged phones—always on- with them at all times in case of an emergency or important call. Tenma was the head of the Ministry. Logan wouldn't be fooled in the slightest with a weak excuse of his phone being dead or off.

With a sigh, Tenma hit **Accept **and put the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" he said, relieved to find his voice sounded even and normal.

"Hello Tenma," Logan greeted him evenly. "How are you?"

"Fine, fine Mr. President," Tenma said, tripping over his words a bit. "H-how are you?"

"Just fine, thank you Doctor," Logan said. "I must say I was a bit surprise when I heard some news concerning you today…"

Tenma blinked and felt his stomach drop. Oh boy.

"I heard from the Ministry that you have shut off your robot. The one that stopped the Peacekeeper?"

It was more of a question than a statement and Tenma realized that the president must be waiting for confirmation. "Er, yes," he said. "Yes I did."

"I see," Logan said, sounding thoughtful. "Just out of curiosity…why?"

Tenma opened his mouth before closing it, lost. He had not thought at all about the public or the government response to Astro's termination. He had been too caught up in his personal issue about it.

Figuring that lying to the president of the city—the man that funded his _job_—was not a wise decision, Tenma took a deep breath. "It was more for personal reasons," he admitted, somehow keeping his voice from breaking. "My son, Toby, has miraculously shown up alive and well…I first created As—the robot to be Toby, and now that he's back I didn't really want him anymore and I didn't want a copy of my son running around."

The words were painful to say, but Tenma shoved his emotions down.

There was a short pause on the either end.

"I see," Logan said finally. "Understandable. It is a pity though. It was quite a remarkable robot."

Tenma bit his lip and didn't say a thing. He didn't trust himself to.

Luckily, Logan continued. "Well," he sighed. "I guess there was no real harm in it. I was simply surprised. It was the perfect robot for defending the city after the loss of the Peacekeeper from the carelessness of _former _President Stone."

"I can make another robot," Tenma said without thinking. "To replace him and defend the city. One that _doesn't _look like my son."

There was a small pause before Logan replied. "I think that is a splendid idea, Tenma," he said, sounding a bit more cheerful. "I would like to see the blueprints when you have a design made up. No rush. With Stone behind bars, the city is in good hands of my people at the moment. Though I think we would all sleep better if we knew that we had a backup plan like the robot you made in case everything blows up in our faces."

"Of course, Mr. President," Tenma replied easily.

"Right," Logan said, sighing a bit. "So that's taken care of. Just one more thing I need to ask of you, Tenma. And a question."

"And what is that?" Tenma asked, a bit cautious.

"Question first," Logan decided. "I would like to ask if I can take the robot into military custody. As President and leader of the city's military, the robot is a highly powerful weapon and I do not want it in the city where it is a target. I'd like to have the military dispose of it on the Surface and keep its power source here—the blue orb from the asteroid that Doctor Elefun has been raging about. That way the robot can't be turned on since the robot itself and its source of power are in two different places. Rest assured the blue orb will be put under heavy guard to prevent any catastrophes."

Tenma gaped for a moment, not having expected this, though he supposed he probably should have. Astro was too powerful to be left unguarded or undisposed of.

Logan had said it was a question, but Tenma doubted it was such when a powerful robot and the military were involved.

He didn't think saying no was very wise. Besides, what was he going to do with Astro anyway? He couldn't bear to even think about him as it was.

"Of course, Mr. President," Tenma said firmly. "That will be just fine."

"Splendid," Logan said. "Now, onto my final request of you. As I'm sure you've thought of, the public response to finding that the hero of the city has been disposed of might not be…pleasant, and I'd like you to make a public speech to the city and explain why the robot has been turned off."

Tenma eyes widened in horror and he opened his mouth to object, but the President cut him off.

"Now, now, before you get worked up," he said quickly. "You don't have to explain your personal reasons for shutting it off. I wouldn't ask that of you and I don't think the public would respond to that well. As much as I hate lying, sometimes I believe bending the truth to keep things peaceful is necessary, especially in this day and age and right after such a disaster has occurred. What I'm asking is that you explain a scientific, governmenty reason that you decided to shut him off. Do you follow me? Some sort of safety reason, or that it was simply an experiment. A test run, and now it is being recalled for whatever reason."

Tenma hesitated for a moment, thinking. He hated lying, but he knew the president was right. Without an explanation, the city would be outraged. They wouldn't be able to keep Astro's disappearance quiet for long—he was too famous already. And it would be a scandal if Tenma revealed his personal reasons for shutting him off.

Logan was right. He needed another explanation.

Exhaling through his nose, Tenma came up with something tiredly, rubbing his temples. "I'll say that he was recalled," he said slowly, biting his lip, which was now bleeding lightly from his habit of doing so. "That he was an experiment and a test run, like you said. We were experimenting with making robots more human-like—extremely human-like, and To—As—I mean, my robot-was a success. But he was _so _human-like that the Ministry of Science didn't think it was that good of any idea any longer. They didn't want him to be so human that the line between robots and humans were blurred and that if As—the robot malfunctioned, that it would create chaos. So the Ministry recalled him and shut him down in favor of making a new robot that is not as human-like but just as powerful to protect the city."

"That sounds perfect, Tenma," Logan said, sounding pleased. "It's believable, unemotional and scientific. And close to truth too. We don't know if such a human robot _was _a good idea. It might have backfired eventually. Maybe it was best to stop it all before it got very far."

_Or maybe it was all just a horrible mistake of a grieving man, _Tenma thought bitterly, but said nothing.

"I'd like you to make that statement tomorrow, if that's all right with you," Logan continued. "I'll introduce you, you can come on and make your statement and then, voila, it's done and over with and everything can go back to normal. I'll send a car for you tomorrow round, oh, say noonish? Don't worry about dressing up, your lab coat is fine, I don't want it to look all fancy and planned. Sound good?"

"Yes, of course Mr. President," Tenma said a little weakly.

"Splendid. Thank you, Tenma. Goodbye."

"Goodbye Mr. President," Tenma said, before he heard the resounding click that signaled that Logan had hung up.

Hanging up his own phone in a slight daze, Tenma walked almost dizzily back to his bed and lay down, shutting off the light and staring listlessly at the ceiling.

What had he gotten himself into?

The slamming of a door twenty minutes later caused Tenma to jump for the second time that day, and with another exhausted sigh, Tenma realized Toby was home.

"Hey Dad, I home!" Toby's voice rang up the stairs, confirming Tenma's suspicion. Shutting his eyes tight for a moment and wishing dearly that he could just get some sleep; Tenma pushed himself out of the bed and left his room to greet his son.

"Hello Toby," he said tiredly, spotting his energetic young son in the living room as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "How was your first day back?"

Toby shrugged, setting down his backpack and lying down on the couch lazily, feet dangling over the arm. "Okay," he said passively, before his eyes got suddenly distant, looking somewhat distracted.

Tenma frowned. "Are you okay, Toby?" he asked, concerned. "Did something happen at school?"

"No," Toby said slowly. "Well, yes, but nothing bad. I met a girl."

"Oh? Tenma said, surprised. He couldn't help but smile a bit, raising an eyebrow. "A _girl?" _

Toby rolled his eyes. "Not like _that_, Dad," he said, exasperated. "Her name is Cora."

Tenma felt his blood run cold. He knew that name. With a rush, his mind flew back to the Ministry….and Astro…

_"Tell…tell Cora that I…that I…."_

Cora. Astro had known someone named Cora.

What had _she_ been doing talking to Toby?

"C-Cora?" Tenma spluttered, his voice squeaking somewhat.

"Yeah," Toby said slowly, giving his father a searching look. "She said she knew Astro. Do you know her?"

"Me?" Tenma babbled, tripping over his words. "Ah, I…I…no. No I've never heard of her."

Toby gave him a look and it was clear he didn't believe him. But to Tenma's relief he didn't push it.

"I've gotta do my homework," he said quickly, jumping up from the couch and grabbing his bag. "See you later, Dad."

And with that, he took off toward his room.

Tenma watched him go, before sitting down on the couch hard, putting his face in his hands.

.

.

**(A/N: Yeah, it's done! Okay, we got us some notes this chapter!**

**First of all, Toby's first day back. I wanted to get a certain feel about this and I'm not sure if I pulled it off, so I would appreciate your feedback on this. I wanted Toby to feel a little nervous, since it was his first day back, but yet still calm and collected, since school is a breeze for him. I didn't think he'd be one to go play with the other children because he seems to me like more of a loner. Someone who would prefer to read than get his hands dirty, but at the same time wants to have fun and be with the other kids. But he can't because he is ostracized from all the kids his age for being a genius (and a slightly conceited one sometimes,) and being rich. Secretly, inside he is bitter about this, but he tells himself he is better off alone. I figured though, that inside, his secret wish is to have a friend that understands him and is just as smart as him and I think he'd be too smart to not realize that Astro is perfect for the job. Toby still, I think, sees himself as superior to Astro because he is a robot and Toby is a human but I don't think he'd mind seeing Astro as a friend or even like a twin brother since they think so alike and look identical. After all, he treats Orrin like you would treat a family butler, minus an occasional hot-headed rewiring to get his way.**

** And, of course, I just HAD to throw a bully moment in there. I mean, if you had a robot twin that is super powerful and everyone knows about, and a bully was coming to pick on you, wouldn't YOU impersonate them and have a little fun? I know I would. Without hesitation. And I also wanted Toby to see that having Astro looking just like him is not all bad, since he is a little annoyed still that everyone thinks he's Astro (that one was a no brainer. Of course they'd think he was Astro! He's supposed to be DEAD!)**

** On that note, we move on to Toby and Cora's meeting. It was changed slightly upon a couple people's requests to have Cora kick/punch/whatever Toby, thinking he is Astro. (Thank you to ALLS96 for the suggestion, and Desiree Phantom for mentioning it). I didn't have this in my original outline, but upon considering it, I figured that it was plausible that Cora would be mad at Astro for not showing up and would slap Toby thinking he was Astro and (probably) wouldn't even feel it, even though Toby, being human, did. Then I wanted Cora to find out on her own that Toby was not Astro, since Cora knows Astro better than anyone. Do you guys remember when Cora hugs Astro in chapter 3, how Cora's smile slips a bit when she feels Astro's skin and realizes it doesn't have heat and is metallic? I believe it is also mentioned in chapter 5, when Toby inspects Astro. Astro's skin is cold and metallic, and Cora knows this, so when she grabs Toby's arm, she realizes right away he isn't Astro, because his skin is fleshy and warm with body heat. (Kudos to Vi-Violence for sorta predicting that part). After that, I wanted the conversation to become incredibly awkward, because I think it would be, once Toby realized this was the girl his robot copy was in love with and Cora realized this was the boy Astro was modeled after. I mean, AWWWKKWARD! That aside then, I also wanted Toby to think Cora was pretty. Since Astro does, it makes sense that Toby would too, since Astro is basically Toby. But at the same time, I wanted Toby to notice Cora's obvious affection for Astro and remember the vice versa—the obvious love that Astro had shown for her in chapter 5. He's not dumb and I think he'd see that the two of them had obviously gone through something special and that he probably doesn't stand a chance, but at the same time he still thinks she's pretty and he knows Astro's AWOL so he's still hoping. He isn't going to try to win Cora over though because he isn't heartless and he doesn't think Cora would like him if he tried to win her (and he is probably right!)**

** And finally—as I believe Mira Kial put it—Mr. Tortured Tenma. Obviously, he'd still be upset about Astro, cause really, after how upset he was, it wasn't going away any time soon and I think his thoughts would still be all over the place and all he'd want was to be left alone and get some sleep—hence his blowing up on Orrin and his unhappiness at the phone call/Toby's return home. **

** And then we have the phone call. This was somewhat of a biggy because it involved Logan, who is mentioned in the movie but we never see. I think it's safe to assume he becomes President after the Stone incident, so in my story, he has been official President for only about two days. I imagine him almost laid back a bit. He's smart, knows what he's doing and very organized, but has a casual, not-very-strict-and-official personality. Like I imagine him playing golf in his free time, not sitting stock straight at his desk and plucking an annoying fly out of the air with two fingers without even looking, if you see what I'm getting out. So he talks to Tenma in more of a laid back manner, going on and on, but still obviously having thought it all through and has everything planned out, while Tenma is just "Yes, of course, Mr. President," and inside a) why didn't I think about all that and b) this isn't gonna be fun. **

** And there we have President Logan everybody!**

** And now to the end! I wanted Toby to mention Cora to his Dad and Tenma is just all O.O. I just had to have it happen, cause imagining his face like that it too hilarious, and I wanted Toby to obviously see through Tenma's blubbering denial of not having heard of her and suspect that there is something Tenma is keeping from him (which he is!)**

** And there we have it! Chapter 11! Thanks for reading everybody, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!**

** Oh, and one last note.**

** Tenma's making that public announcement tomorrow. Around noon. So guess what two characters are gonna be at school? And guess who's gonna find out Astro's dead?**

** DUNDUNDUNDUNDUN!**

** All right, I'm done. Thanks again for reading!**

** -Mermaid)**


	12. The Announcement

**(A/N: Hello everybody! Sorry that this chapter took a little long to get out—I have been working on an original peace—a short story—that I'm (hoping) to maybe get published with Kindle Singles on Amazon. Here's to hoping? **

**Anyway, special thanks to: Chris, t, Zarosian Chaos, The Last Letter, Magicalmayhem, starwarrior4ever, Desiree Phantom, lunar locket, Chaos Infinity-X, Mira Kial, Toby Tenma, ShadowsNeverFade, Kayslay, Guest, Renesmee5550123, Guest, moviegal99, Harry. Potter. Is. BOSS, AstroGirl101 and KaylahDemi!**

**Thanks a bunch for reviewing! 179 reviews, 50 favs and 50 alerts! WHOO! THANK YOU!**

**Enjoy!)**

**Toby's POV:**

The next morning, Toby purposely avoided his father.

It wasn't that hard, considering when Orrin woke him up to get ready for school, he was still fast asleep and snoring like a vacuum cleaner in the master bedroom next door.

Nevertheless, when Orrin went upstairs once again twenty minutes later to wake the scientist up for work, Toby gobbled down his breakfast in a couple mouthfuls and hurriedly got in the limo before his Dad had a chance to get up and come downstairs.

He wasn't exactly sure why he was avoiding him. It was just a sort of feeling he had after last night. A desire to not have to speak or see his dad for the time being.

He figured it had something to do with his father _lying _to him. His brown eyes narrowed and he scowled just at the thought.

It was a small thing. Tiny, in the scheme of all that had happened to him in the past few days, really. But it bothered him to no end.

He'd lied to him. _Lied. _And what for? All he had asked was if he knew Cora, and he'd lied through his teeth. It was so obvious that he most definitely _did _know who Cora was, and that for whatever reason she bothered him.

But why? Toby had lay awake last night for a long time pondering that one question. Why did the mention of Cora's name make his dad so uncomfortable? Was he hiding something? Had something happened that he wasn't aware of?

And more importantly, did it have something to do with Astro?

Much to his frustration, no amount of meditating on the provoking question gave him any answers, and Toby tried to put it out of his mind as Orrin got into the limo and he fastened his seatbelt.

Still, he had a bad feeling that even though it had only been a small occurrence—and a small lie—that it pointed to something else.

Something big.

And something bad.

~O~

The second day of school turned out to be much more tolerable that the first. People paid a lot less attention to him in class now that they knew he was just plain ol' smarty pants Toby Tenma. Everything felt a whole lot more normal and it was actually a bit comforting to him. He didn't think he liked change all that much.

Throughout the day, he kept a sharp lookout for Cora. He couldn't stop thinking about their talk yesterday, or pondering yet again about the stuff he didn't know about her and Astro. A feeling he was unaccustomed to settled in the pit of his stomach every time he thought about the two of them.

Jealousy.

He spotted her once, during a passing period between classes. She had looked up and had seen him staring at her from across the crowded hall, a look of anguish washing over her features before she looked away.

The look had earned her a small frown from Toby that had stayed on his face for a while longer.

He had a nagging feeling that the look of anguish was because he looked just like Astro and _not _because of him himself, and he found that incredibly bothersome.

He somehow managed to shake this off though and continue on his boring, dull day of 'learning'.

At least _that _part would never change.

Before long, the day was almost over, and Toby felt a mixture of joy and dread at the thought. He was happy at the thought of leaving school for another twenty-four hours, but was dreading to return home to the empty apartment building—if it was empty. If it wasn't, Toby thought it might be even worse.

Entering his last class of the day—science, his best class—though, that normal, everyday day became not-so-every-day and his thoughts of his afterschool activity quickly left his mind.

The students that had already entered the classroom were not sitting at their desks, but instead clumped around Mr. Mustachio's desk, loudly asking questions in a flurry of speech.

Curious, Toby made his way over to the crowd of people and went on his tiptoes to try and see the science teacher and figure out what in the world was going on.

"Shhh, quiet, QUIET!" Mr. Mustachio yelled irritably as the question-firing grew louder. "Everyone go sit down!"

Muttering dejectedly, the class moved away from the teacher's desk and took their seats.

Taking a big breath and stroking his big, white mustache, Mr. Mustachio got up from his desk and moved to the front of the classroom, facing the students.

"All right, class," he said evenly. "Our normal class schedule is going to be interrupted today. All classes this period have been called down to the gym for an assembly."

He sighed as all the hands in the room shot up at once.

"Now, before you ask me what the assembly is," he said tersely. "I can say right now that I don't know. You know as much as me. Now, everyone get in a single file line—quietly, please!—and we will walked down to the gym, okay?"

Instantly, the class erupted into chatter—much to Mr. Mustachio's annoyance—but obediently got into a single file line.

As he wrestled his way into the line, Toby's mind was whirling. An assembly? They _never _had assemblies, especially unscheduled ones. Not that he was complaining, but it was slightly out of the ordinary.

The class began to make its way down to the gym, led by Mr. Mustachio, and was soon joined by many other classes being led down the halls in single file lines. Craning his neck, Toby tried to find Cora in the mix, but didn't see her, much to his disappointment.

Before long, the entire school was packed into the make-shift gym, where a large TV had been mounted on the wall. Toby surveyed it curiously as the science's class's line immediately dispersed upon entry to the gym, leaving him on his own.

Chaos ensued for a brief length of time, kids brushing against other kids and a buzzing din of chatter filling the already-echoey room.

Eventually, though, the principal—a man named Shrikker in his mid-forties, already balding—stood up on a make-shift podium and somehow managed to get the room full of rowdy students to settle down.

"Good afternoon," he said formally, straightening his blue tie a bit uncomfortably. "I apologize for taking you out of your classes to come down here, but we were formally asked by the government to do so so that you may view a public announcement by the President."

A murmur of surprise and interest ran through the dense crowd and Toby perked up a bit in interest.

A message from the President? What could it be about? It _had _to be something important to interrupt class.

"The announcement is to air in less than five minutes," Principal Shrikker concluded. "I ask that you please be respectful and quiet while we watch the speech and then cooperate with your teachers as they lead you back to your classrooms. Thank you."

He turned off his microphone and stepped off the podium, turning to talk in undertone with his colleagues.

Just then, someone turned on the TV, and Toby reverted his eyes to stare at it.

A solid blue screen met his gaze, emblazoned with the word PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT, PLEASE STAND BY in white letters.

And then, as suddenly as the TV had turned on, the blue announcement went away and the smiling face of President Logan appeared.

"Good morning citizens of Metro City," he greeted cheerfully, light blue eyes twinkling in a friendly way. "My apologies for taking away from your work, education and activities, but I have an important announcement to make."

He paused a moment, taking a breath and collecting himself before looking back at the camera.

"Today, the mighty robot-known as Astro to the civilian community-was deactivated."

Toby felt his blood run cold.

_What?_

Murmurs of shock ran throughout the crowd in waves. Toby glanced around wildly until his eyes fell on Cora, standing in the thicket of teenagers a little ways away from him.

A look of utter shock filled her face and she stared at the screen in open-mouthed horror, looking like she was going to faint.

"I know it's a bit of a shock," Logan continued slowly. "But rest assured that the government and the Ministry of Science has everything under control."

He turned, gesturing to the podium and stepping away from it. "Dr. Tenma?"

Bill Tenma got up from his seat behind the President, dressed in his usual lab coat, and stepped up on the podium.

Toby gasped in surprise and a couple people around him began to stare. Toby ignored them, eyes fixed on the screen.

"First off, I want to apologize," Tenma said, his face passive but slightly strained. "Apologize for giving you Astro just…just to take him away."

He closed his eyes briefly, taking a big breath. "Astro…Astro was a…a test," he explained. "A test to see the full potential of both the Blue Core—a fragment of an asteroid we recovered that houses an incredible amount of clean energy—and modern robotic technology. I built Astro to serve as the vessel for the Core—to test its power and potential as an energy source. I admit, I modeled him after the likeness of my son, Toby—" -Toby received and few more looks at this- "—though I did not expect how…how _human _the Core would allow the robot to become."

He took another breath before exhaling therapeutically. "The robot—Astro—exceeded our goal to simply test the Core, and after we saw all that the robot was capable of; we decided it was best to retract him. Although he was a very capable and advanced robot, and although he was more than advanced enough to protect our city as he did not long ago, it does not change the fact that a robot with that much humanity is not a very wise idea."

He paused for a moment, looking down for a brief second before looking back up at the camera firmly. "Once again, I apologize," he finished. "Rest assured that the Ministry of Science will make up for the loss and build a new robot to replace Astro in protection of the city. Thank you."

Looking away, he stepped down from the podium and left the view of the screen. Logan took his place.

"That concludes this announcement," he said, smiling. "You may return to your regular scheduled activates and stay clam in knowing that the government has the deactivated robot in military custody and it will be disposed of safely. Have a nice day!"

And with that, the screen went black.

Toby stared at the blank screen in shock, his mind whirling like a hurricane.

It wasn't true. What his father had said was a lie. It had been very believable, Toby would give him that, and he doubted that anyone would suspect that it had been a cover up. After all, why would they doubt him?

But Toby knew it wasn't true. He knew the inside story.

Astro wasn't a test. He was a replacement. A replacement of _Toby _and Tenma knew that. Tenma knew it, Toby knew it, Astro had _known _it.

And one other person that Toby knew of.

Cora.

He looked over to where he had seen her before quickly just in time to see her rushing out of the room, pushing through the crowd of blabbering students and fleeing.

Without hesitating, Toby followed her, easily ducking and weaving through the crowd, thanks to his rather short height.

Coming out into the hall, he noticed another boy running after her ahead of him, also older than him with dark hair and long bangs. "Cora!" he yelled after her. "Hey, Cora, wait!"

The two of them vanished around the corner and Toby followed them, stopping at the corner and peaking around.

The boy had stopped Cora and the two were talking hurriedly. Cora had tears running down her face and looked closed to hysterics.

He couldn't hear what they were saying so he turned the corner and inched closer, hiding behind a stack of boxes that had no doubt been storage in this warehouse before they had made it temporarily into the school.

"—don't know what to do, Zane!" Cora gushed, leaning against the wall and brushing away the tears in her eyes roughly, like she was mad at them. "They have him! He's shut off and Logan said they're going to dispose of him and—"

"Hey, calm down!" the boy—Zane—said, looking just as upset as Cora, and a bit unnerved. "He's not disposed of yet, is he?"

"No, but how are we going to get to him?" Cora shot back, blue eyes slightly bloodshot. "He's in military custody!"

"Right now," Zane said calmly, smirking a bit. "But they didn't specify _how _they were going to dispose of him. So…how does Metro City _usually _dispose of worthless robots…?"

Cora's eyes widened and she stared at Zane, opened mouth.

Zane smiled a bit. "Where do all useless robots go…?" he said suggestively, raising an eyebrow.

"The Surface," Cora breathed.

"Exactly," Zane said. "If they throw him down there, we'll be able to find him. No one knows the Surface better than we do."

A little bit of color returned to Cora's white cheeks and she managed a weak smile. "You're right, Zane," she whispered. "We can find him. We…we can go down there tonight! It'll be easy with the city still on the Surface."

Zane nodded enthusiastically. "It'll be just like old times," he said, though he still looked a bit worried. "We can go down that slight shoot behind the Ministry. It'll be a synch. We'll have to wait till your parents are asleep, though. Think one in the morning will be late enough?"

"Yeah, okay," Cora said, closing her eyes and taking a big, calming breath. "Yeah. We can do this."

"Yes, we can," Zane agreed. "I have to go. We'll plan more tonight, okay? "

"Sure," Cora said, and then Zane patted her awkwardly on the shoulder and left the hall, heading toward the school/warehouse entrance.

Cora stayed there a moment longer, before turning and making her way back to the fray of students filtering out of the gym.

Toby stayed where he was for a good five minutes, assessing what he had heard.

So Cora and this boy, Zane, were going to sneak down to the Surface tonight to try and find Astro, assuming that he was to be disposed of there.

It was an interesting plan and Toby figured that they were probably right about Astro being dumped there, since he remembered learning in science class once that that's where all the useless robots and other metallic junk is thrown. If Astro ended up anywhere, that's where.

So that's why he was going to follow them.

Tonight.

With this decision in mind, Toby set his jaw determinedly and a bit excitedly, leaving his hiding place from behind the boxes and making his way back to the gym as well.

He could hardly wait till tonight.

.

.

**(A/N: Yay! Chapter 12 done and out of the way! No real notes on this chapter, since it was kind of a short, this-information-needs-to-be-put-in-to-set-up-everything-else-chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed! Mermaid out!) **


	13. The Search

**(A/N: Hey guys! I'm back with a longer chapter, which will hopefully make up for the previous short one!**

**Special thanks to: Mira Kial, Renesmee5550123, Zarosian Chaos, Kayslay, AstroLuvr20, RainbowFactory, Tarume, Lovepaw and Silverpaw, Dinode, astro-.-luvr10, lunar locket, Desiree Phantom, movegal99, AstroGirl101 and StarSpangledRobotLover! You guys are great!**

**Other notes: I have started making a Deleted Scenes chapter. I only have one scene in it so far and I don't know how many I will have in it by the end, but I will have one, with at least the one scene. I deleted it because if I put it in it would make things less suspenseful but it still 'happened,' at least in my mind, and I thought it was a cute scene, so I still want you guys to be able to read it. So look forward to that at the end of the story!**

**Another note, some people have said that I should send this story in to Imagi to be made into a movie. As much as I love the idea, and as much as I'm flattered that you think its good enough, I don't think it'll work. One, I don't believe Imagi really exists anymore and I don't know who owns the Astro Boy movie rights. Two, the Astro Boy movie was very kid friendly, and my story isn't quite as friendly, since Astro, the main hero, commits suicide and later on dies, which is a more adult theme, plus one other theme later on , which is why this story is T. I don't think that's very good for a sequel to a children's movie. I guess I could take Astro dying out, but my plot sorta revoles around that, so I don't see how that would work. Thanks for the support anyway!**

**Enjoy the chapter!)**

It was quiet and dark. Not a sound broke the silence and not a movement disturbed the stillness.

But then, a slight light disrupted the darkness. It wasn't an overhead bulb; just an individual light. A flashlight.

The beam of the light searched around the room until it fell on a work table near the center. On it, the light revealed, lay a boy, apparently dead, or asleep. Either way, he did not move or breathe.

A hand lightly touched the boy's head and turned it slightly. With one finger, it pressed on a spot between the boy's two styled spikes and a little panel revealed itself that was not there before. Without a sound, the hand dug a fingernail under the small panel and popped it open, revealing a small chip, glowing with green backup energy.

Carefully, the hand removed the small chip and replaced the panel. Immediately, the panel melted into the boy's head once again, completely invisible.

Clutching the chip in his hand, the person the hand belonged to quickly left the room, taking the light with him.

The room fell into darkness once again.

~O~

**Cora's POV:**

Her whole world seemed to have suddenly come off its hinges.

**CRASH!** Little pieces of broken glass seemed to fall in slow motion all around her, hitting the ground with a sound like the tinkling of bells.

_Today, the mighty robot-known as Astro to the civilian community-was deactivated…_

_ Robot…Astro…deactivated…_

Those words. Those three words sent everything crashing to the ground.

No. No, it couldn't be true. They were lying. They had to be lying! He couldn't be gone…they couldn't have shut him off…

Cora stared at the screen with complete and utter horror on her face, unable to look away from the smiling image of President Logan, his words hitting her ears as if in slow motion. Even then, they seemed slurred, gurgley, like she was underwater.

No. NO!

**NO!**

Tears welled in her clear blue eyes and stung fiercely as she tried to keep them back. Everything seemed to move slowly, but even as Doctor Tenma took to the podium, reality was already beginning to sink in.

No…

_…was a test…a test to see the full potential of both the Blue Core and modern robotic technology…_

No, no Astro wasn't a test. _Isn't _a test. He's a boy. A real, living, feeling _boy! HE'S NOT JUST A ROBOT!_

She felt like she was going to scream, explode, but she didn't. She couldn't. It was like her voice didn't work, her facial muscles didn't move the way the bubbling cauldron of emotions in her stomach wished her to. All they did was stare at the screen in open-mouthed horror.

_…saw what he was capable of…decided it was best to retract him…doesn't change the fact that he is a robot….not a very wise idea._

No! NO! Nononononono!

The tears had escaped now and were flowing down her cheeks. She couldn't control them. At this point, she didn't care.

All she could do was run.

Run away. Run away from it all.

She turned and pushed her way through the crowd, not even aware of who she was barreling over or what they were saying. She just had to get out of here. She couldn't breathe, she needed air, she needed—

"Cora!" a familiar voice yelled behind her. It took her a moment to recognize it as Zane's. "Hey, Cora, wait!"

She didn't wait. She didn't stop. She couldn't, she needed to get far, far away from here—

She stopped only when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder, turning to face Zane with tears rolling down her cheeks in waves now, unable to keep them in. She was already a hall and a half away from the gym, but suddenly felt exhausted, unable to run anymore. She felt weak and she was shaking uncontrollably.

Zane looked genuinely concerned and a very uncomfortable by this fact, though he pushed it aside.

"You okay?" he asked, looking like he wasn't really sure what else to say.

Cora nodded, leaning again the wall, though she was most definitely _not _okay. She closed her eyes briefly, composing herself, before reopening them and facing her adopted brother and long-time friend.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice hoarse. "I thought you didn't have to go to school."

Zane smiled a bit, his signature half-smirk of a smile. "I'm just visiting," he explained, grinning. "I was going to meet you after school so I was waiting outside and got ushered in by some flustered teachers to come and see the announcement. They wouldn't listen to me when I told them I wasn't a student."

Cora smiled weakly. Normally, she'd make some joke about him being a juvenile delinquent or something, but she didn't have it in her. The reality of what she had just heard was still sinking in.

Zane's smile faltered somewhat and his face betrayed worry and a bit of pain as well. "So…" he said slowly. "Astro."

Immediately, reality slapped her in the face again and the tears returned.

"I don't know what to do, Zane!" she wailed, lost. She wiped away the hot tears fiercely; full of pain and anger she didn't know how to control. "They have him! He's shut off and Logan said they're going to dispose of him and—"

"Hey, calm down!" Zane said, looking just as upset but much more in control. "He's not disposed of yet, is he?"

"No, but how are we going to get to him?" Cora shot back, blue eyes slightly bloodshot. "He's in military custody!"

"Right now," Zane said calmly, smirking a bit. His eyes twinkled with that 'I got a plan and it's probably illegal' look in them. "But they didn't specify _how _they were going to dispose of him. So…how does Metro City _usually _dispose of worthless robots…?"

Cora's eyes widened.

He couldn't be serious, could he? That was almost too obvious…it could even be easy…

Zane smiled a bit. "Where do all useless robots go…?" he said suggestively, raising an eyebrow.

"The Surface," Cora breathed.

"Exactly," Zane said, grinning. "If they throw him down there, we'll be able to find him. No one knows the Surface better than we do."

A little bit of color returned to Cora's white cheeks and she managed a weak smile. "You're right, Zane," she whispered, determined to remain optimistic. It was possible, right? After all, he was a robot. "We can find him. We…we can go down there tonight! It'll be easy with the city still on the Surface."

Zane nodded enthusiastically. "It'll be just like old times," he said, though he still looked a bit worried. "We can go down that slight shoot behind the Ministry. It'll be a cinch. We'll have to wait till your parents are asleep, though. Think one in the morning will be late enough?"

"Yeah, okay," Cora said, closing her eyes and taking a big, calming breath. "Yeah. We can do this."

They could do it.

Assuming, of course, that Astro was even on the Surface at all.

But she couldn't let herself think that. She had to stay optimistic.

"Yes, we can," Zane agreed. "I have to go. We'll plan more tonight, okay? "

"Sure," Cora said, and then Zane patted her awkwardly on the shoulder and left the hall, heading toward the entrance and disappearing out of sight.

She watched him go, before taking a big breath and walking back to the gym.

She felt like a walking zombie, detached from the world.

But that was better than hysterics.

And at least there was hope…no matter how slim it was.

~O~

**City Hall:**

President Logan sat at a conference table filled with many high-ranking government and military officials. Quiet chatter filled the President Building's conference room as the officials talked amongst one another, debating and discussing things in low tones until Logan got to his feet and clapped his hands. Immediately, all chatter died and all eyes turned to Logan.

"All right," he said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Thank you all for coming. I do not think I need to bother telling you what I have called you here to discuss."

All eyes went to the figure lying motionless on the table at his words.

What looked to be a young boy lay on the polished wood of the table, spread eagled with his eyes closed. Two black spikes adorned his hair and a black Speedo with a green waistband and big, red boots were the only clothes he wore.

He did not move.

Clearing his throat, President Logan looked away from the robot and the rest of the people present did as well.

"I think we all know," he said again. "But I'm going to say it anyway. I've gathered you all here today to discuss the disposition of this deactivated robot. What are your opinions in the matter of how this should be done?"

A couple hands were raised at the question.

Logan nodded to a man wearing a green general's uniform—formerly the property of General Heckler, who was arrested along with Stone after the demolition of the Peacekeeper.

The man-the new General, whose name was Kisler-cleared his throat. "I propose we get rid of him—I mean, _it_—the old fashioned way."

"You mean, dump it on the Surface?" Logan clarified.

"Yes," Kisler said, looking a little uncomfortable with the wording but did not voice it. His stole another glance at Astro's motionless shell though, and his expression deepened with a hint of sorrow. It was obvious he felt bad for the poor robot kid.

Logan did too, but business was business. He was the president and he needed to do what needed to be done for the city. And likeable or not, the robot belonged to Tenma, and Tenma chose to dispose of him. He could not get involved in it personally. He had to do his job.

"Okay," the president said calmly, sitting down. "That is a possibility. Thank you for your input, General. Anyone else have another idea? Anyone disagree with General Kisler's suggestion?"

Another hand rose. Logan nodded to the owner, a woman dressed in a crisp gray suit.

"I don't think that keeping the robot here in the city is wise," she said evenly. "Even if the location is not publicly known, there are only so many government buildings in the city. Targeting them all to try and find the robot would not be that difficult and with people like Stone present in the city—even though he is in custody—it could be potentially dangerous. Especially when our military is still in the process of being evaluated for loyalty after the Stone incident and is not at its strongest."

Logan thought about this for a moment before nodding. "I agree, Admiral Caller that keeping the robot in the city in our current state might not be the wisest. However, the only alternative is what General Kisler was suggesting, at least in part. Putting him out of the city and onto the Surface."

"We could set up a secure faculty down there to hold him," Alderman Telier suggested.

"That would not be wise," Lieutenant General Forester countered. "A Metro City facility on the Surface would be an obvious target, and we do not have a whole lot of authority down there. We are more powerful and more heavily armed, yes, but if we would have to go down there and scout out a place to build the facility before doing so and the people that live down there might feel threatened. With the city still resting on the Surface we are also more vulnerable than before. The people down there will not know the purpose of the facility and it will worry them. They might think it's a prison—for them possibly—or some other threatening thing and we cannot explain its true purpose to them without revealing the robot's location and power. Lying about it will only strengthen their suspicion and worry. If we unsettle them enough, it might even start a war."

Murmurs broke out at this. War might seem a bit far, but the Surface-dwellers possibly being unsettled and maybe responding violently was not a preposterous idea. It was not unknown that some Surface people had weapons and robots at their disposal, either.

Logan clapped twice and regained everyone's attention. "I agree that war and violence over this issue should be avoided at all costs," he agreed. "I say we rule out the idea of a facility to hold the robot on the Surface. All in favor?"

Practically everyone's hand in the room was raised.

Logan nodded and lowered his hand. Everyone else followed suit. "Okay, that's ruled out," he said. "All in favor of keeping him in the city, despite the risks?"

A few hands rose, but not many.

Logan nodded. "I understand how security would be at risk if he were kept here," he noted. "So that leaves only one option. We keep him on the Surface, but not in a Metro City facility. In other words, we dump him like we do all other robots once they are no longer useful. Unless, of course, anyone else has an alternative idea?"

No one raised their hand.

Logan nodded. "All in favor of disposing him the old fashion way?" he asked.

All the hands rose.

Logan nodded. "It is settled then," he concluded. "Any other things that must be said before we proceed?"

General Kisler's hand went into the air again.

"Yes, General?" Logan acknowledged.

"I think that it would be wise to dismantle the robot before we dispose of him, sir," Kisler suggested respectfully. "Once dismantled, we can scatter the pieces to ensure that no one simply stumbles upon him, whole and fully functional."

Logan considered this before nodding. "A wise idea, General," he said. "All in favor?"

All the hands rose.

Logan nodded in acknowledgement. "All right," he said briskly. "Moving on. What to do with this Blue Core? It's incredibly powerful. I'm going to suggest right off the bat we do not dump _that _on the Surface."

"It should most definitely be kept here, in the city," City Manager Seckler said firmly. "In military custody too, not in the Ministry of Science. It's too obvious there, and I don't think letting the scientists mess with it any more than they already have is wise. Not after what it resulted in."

"A wise suggestion," Logan said, nodding respectfully. "Any alternative ideas?"

No hands were raised.

Logan nodded again. "All in favor of keeping the Core here, in the city and under military protection?"

All hands rose.

Logan nodded again before standing. "It is settled then," he said. "We will begin at once. In the meantime, I will contact Dr. Tenma and work with him on this new robot he has promised to build and proceed in getting a temporary one from the Ministry, as a precaution if the robot for whatever reason was to return against us. I am not worried much about that, though. I don't think this particular robot is much of a threat. To us, at least."

He glanced at Astro, and the meaning of his words was clear to those gathered. The obvious sympathy on his face that he made no effort to hide only confirmed that.

President Christopher Logan stared at Astro's unmoving form for a second longer before turning around to leave the conference room. "Dismissed," he said over his shoulder.

And then he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

He forced himself to not look back.

~O~

Nightfall seemed like it would never come soon enough for Cora. It was horrible, having to wait, itching to do something to be able to put her thoughts and worries and pain behind her as she focused on acting, not thinking.

Zane was the one and only thing keeping her sane at the moment. They had been going over their plan for tonight over and over again for the past few hours—she had lost count of how long it had been after Zane had unplugged her clock, annoyed that she kept glancing at it.

At least they had managed to be rid of her mother. After seeing the announcement, Mrs. Sable and been smiling a rather smug smile since the moment Cora had returned home from school and it did not help Cora's mood in the slightest. Thankfully, Zane had come up with an excuse for the two of them to disappear into Cora's room before any spontaneous combusting or explosions occurred.

The boy had his moments of wisdom.

Zane sighed and ran a hand through his hair for the umpteenth time, closing his eyes and falling back on Cora's bedspread. "Can we _not _go through it again?" he groaned. "My brain is about to implode and we've already concluded _several times _that there is _nothing more to go over. _We go, we look, we fail or succeed and try again if we have to. Stash Astro away in one of our old Surface hangouts and see what we can do to get him back on, and work from there, find out where the Blue Core is, blah blah blah blah."

Cora rolled her eyes but didn't press him. She knew it he was right, there was nothing more to do but go. She'd known it for a loooong while.

The problem?

Her parents would just not go to _bed_!

It was already twenty minutes till midnight—Cora had wrestled the unplugged clock away from Zane to check the time five minutes before—and her parents were still up. She knew for sure, since it was impossible to miss them going to their room—it was right next to hers, and the apartment walls were very thin. Cora had been listening very hard the entire time, hoping she'd hear them.

So far, she hadn't.

"Ugh, will they just go to _bed_ already!" she exploded, impatient.

She was not exactly known for her patience.

Zane huffed and rolled his eyes too, but Cora could tell he was getting impatient as well. And if Zane was getting impatient, then Cora was about ready to explode.

Closing her eyes, Cora let herself fall onto her back on the bedspread, her legs hanging off the side so she lay horizontal. It felt good, to lie down and close her eyes. Despite herself, she was tired.

But she couldn't let herself go to sleep. Opening her eyes forcefully again, she stared at her white ceiling with eyes of steel, focusing on a speck on the white paint with intensity.

Zane didn't say a word and Cora figured he was doing something similar.

A deafening silence filled her room.

And then they both heard it.

An opening of a door and the reclosing of it. And the creak of a bed.

In the room next door.

Both Cora and Zane sat up at once, looking each other in the eye and grinning in excitement, slipping off the bed in unison. Shutting off the small bedside light they had been using, they moved soundlessly to Cora's door, removing the towels stuffed under the crack at the bottom to stop light filtering through and betraying they were still up.

Opening the door at a snail's pace so it wouldn't creak, the two of them moved soundlessly down the hall. They both stopped by Cora's parents' room without a word, pressing their ears against the door softly.

They could hear Mr. and Mrs. Sable talking quietly to each other through the old-fashioned wooden door, although they couldn't make out words. They heard the creak of the bed again, and then the light shut off and everything was silent.

Cora grinned at Zane in the darkness and Zane smirked back. In unison, they turned and made their way out of the hall, through the kitchen and out the apartment door, as soundless as soundless could be.

Once they had successfully managed to exit the apartment building, the two of them breathed in fresh, crisp air and grinned wide, both relieved to be out of the apartment and to leave their anxious boredom behind.

"You ready?" Zane asked softly.

"I've been ready for hours," Cora said, itching to go.

Zane grinned. "Then let's go," he said, and without another word, the two of them began to jog toward the looming building that was the Ministry of Science, picturing the slight muddy slide they had discovered beyond.

~O~

It was only a little bit passed midnight when they arrived at the science building and the moon was already overhead, shinning bright white light over them and illuminating the landscape.

Adrenaline rushing in both of their veins, the two of them began to circle around the building to the back without a sound, wary and alert, in case someone were to confront them.

No one did though and they reached the back of the Ministry successfully, stopping only when they were at the edge of the small, unnatural chute down to the Surface below.

They had both agreed when they had discovered this little slide that it was most likely a result of the battle between Astro and the Peacekeeper. It was simply too…unnatural. The sides were smoothed and not at all jagged, suggesting—at least, Cora thought—that either Astro or the Peacekeeper had been thrown straight through the rock with enough force to make it a clean chute.

She was sort of hoping it had been the Peacekeeper and not Astro.

Now, they stood by it in silence, Zane gesturing to it lightly. His message was clear: ladies first.

Setting her jaw, Cora didn't give herself any more time to think. Without another thought, she ran to the slide and jumped down into it, letting it take her down its rocky chute.

She heard Zane follow her and before she knew it she was rolling out on the familiar dust of the Surface, Zane just behind her.

They got to their feet with only slight grunts of pain, helping each other up. Dusting themselves off, they then turned to face what they already knew was there.

The junk heaps. Hills and mountains of it, stretching across the plain as far as they could see.

Even though she knew that it was not going to be any different than it had been the last time she was here, Cora still felt a stab of hopelessness. How in the world were they going to find Astro in all of this?

No. She couldn't let herself think like that. She had to stay positive.

"Ready to start the search?" Zane asked, looking at her with the same sort of quiet hopelessness.

Cora nodded and took a big breath. "Yeah."

Zane gave her a weak, semi-encouraging smile and then the two of them pressed forward, climbing into the first mound of junk they reached like they had done so many times before in the past and began to search.

Neither one of them noticed the small figure coming down the chute behind them and hiding among the mounds of trash, watching them with big, curious brown eyes.

~O~

"Found something!"

"Really? Did you find him?" Cora exclaimed in excitement, clambering over the mound of junk she was currently shifting through, garbage coming loose under her foot as she did.

In response, Zane's head appeared from behind an old, battered hover car, grinning like an idiot. "Not Astro," he said, holding up some sort of gun-thingy for Cora to see. "But I did find an abandoned Mega Shooter 6000! It doesn't work but I bet I can fix that. It's only missing a few key parts."

Cora's face fell in disappointment for a moment, before becoming ticked. "You seriously called me over to show me _that?_" she hissed. "_How _long have you known me?"

Zane's smile faltered a bit and he quickly disappeared behind the car again.

Cora sighed and rubbed her tired eyes, returning to her work.

They had been searching through the garbage for quite a while. Cora didn't know how long exactly, but her hands were already red and callused from climbing up mounds of trash and sifting through it all. Not to mention she felt like she was going to fall asleep at any second.

Her sense of hopelessness had only managed to increase as her search bore on in the silence of the Surface at night. The more useless things she dug through, the more she realized just how impossible this whole rescue mission truly was. Who were they kidding? It had been a long shot, at best.

It was hopeless.

But she couldn't give up. Setting her jaw in determination, Cora dived into another pile of rubble. She couldn't give up.

She couldn't because she knew.

She knew that he would never in a million years stop searching for her.

She had to do the same.

**THINK!**

** CRASH!**

"AHHHHHHH!"

**THUNK!**

"OOF!"

Cora's head whipped around at the sudden sound and she scrambled to the edge of her trash mountain again, eyes wide as she peered over the edge. She squinted into the darkness and could just make out a figure lying there, groaning.

"Zane?" she called down. "You okay? What did you do, you idiot? Trip on that fancy dancy blaster of yours?"

A muffled whimper was the only response she got.

Rolling her eyes, Cora hopped off the side of the trash mound and slid down the side expertly, landing on her feet in the garbage-strewn dust and making her way toward the fallen boy.

"You really are an idiot, you know tha—"

She cut off suddenly, stopping in her tracks and staring at the boy before her in shock.

It was not Zane.

She felt her breath leave her and her heart skip a beat.

"A-Astro?" she gasped, blue eyes wide as coins.

Astro moved and stood with a groan, revealing the two spikes Cora knew so well in the moonlight. He turned to face her, his brown eyes reflecting the moon in the half-light.

It was like a dream.

Except for a few tiny details.

Astro's spikes were off-kilter.

Astro's spikes were always perfect.

A few scratches adorned his face.

Astro was practically indestructible.

He was wearing black shoes.

Astro only wore his red boots.

It wasn't Astro.

"Toby," Cora hissed, her eyes narrowing as she crossed her arms over her chest. "What are _you _doing here?"

Toby Tenma dusted himself off and looked sheepish, taking a step back from the furious teenager. "Er, well…" he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. The movement sent knives into Cora's heart. Astro always did that. "I was…was…"

"You _followed _me, didn't you?" she accused angrily, eyes blazing.

"Yes and no," Toby said truthfully. "I _overheard _you were planning to come here, and came too."

"Overheard…?" Cora echoed, temporarily confused until her mind flashed back to her breakdown in the hallway. "You were eavesdropping!" she exploded, outraged.

"I prefer, 'listening in'," Toby said cheekily, grinning. "Besides, after you said you were going to try and find the robot me, there was no way I _wasn't _going to follow you."

"Astro is nothing like you," Cora growled, although she knew it wasn't true. Toby and Astro had plenty of similarities, that much was obvious, but they were also different. Cora could tell. They were _not _the same person.

"Nothing like me?" Toby repeated. "I don't know about that, but yeah, I know we aren't the same."

Cora blinked, surprised. She didn't know what she had expected him to say, but not that. "Really?" she asked slowly, eyeing the boy warily and temporarily forgetting her rage. "You think that Astro is his own person and not just your copy?"

Toby raised an eyebrow. "Well, sure," he said, shrugging. "I mean, at first glance, yeah, we look the same. But our personalities don't completely match up. We do have the same taste in clothes, though."

Cora frowned lightly, somehow disturbed by this information. She hadn't known Toby knew that much about Astro…she wondered what else that had discussed before…before…

She couldn't even bare to think about it.

She opened her mouth to ask him something. She wasn't even sure what, something stupid and rash probably, but was interrupted by the loud entrance of Zane, sliding down his trash mountain, a look of worry on his face.

"Hey Cora, you okay?" he called; jumping off the mini avalanche of garbage he had created and landing on his feet. "I thought I heard—"

He cut off as he spotted Toby, eyes widening.

"_ASTRO?" _he exclaimed.

"No," Cora said icily, crossing her arms again. "Toby."

Zane blinked and his brow furrowed in confusion as he glanced to Cora for a second before looking back to Toby in disbelief.

"Toby?" he echoed.

"Yeah," Toby clarified, looking uncomfortable. "I'm Toby Tenma. The…uh, kid that Astro was modeled after."

Zane stared at him for a long moment, taking in his features and his forehead slowly unwrinkled. After a second, he relaxed. "You're human," he realized. "I get it now. Huh. I didn't know Astro was modeled after someone."

"Most people don't," Toby muttered sourly, and Cora felt a small stab of pity for him for a second, before quickly pushing it away.

"Doesn't matter," she said briskly. "What matters is what we're going to do with him." She glared at Toby for a moment before looking away and turning to Zane. "He heard our conversation and followed us. Why is beyond me but he's here now, so now what?"

Zane shurgged. "How am _I _supposed to know?" he said. "I didn't even know he _existed _till just now!"

"Well, we gotta do somethi—"

"How about you let me help?"

Both Cora and Zane whirled around to look at him, mouths hanging open.

Cora recovered first. "You?" she snorted. "Help us? Yeah right."

"Seriously," Toby said in a serious tone. "I want to help. Why do you think I bothered to come all the way out here?"

"Oh, I don't know, to _spy _on us maybe?" Cora accused.

"Wait," Zane interrupted, closing his eyes briefly and running a hand through his hair. "Let me get this straight. You want to _help _us?"

"Yeah," Toby confirmed.

Zane blinked. "But why?" he asked, confused. "Isn't Astro a replacement of you or something? A copy? Aren't you _happy _he's gone?"

Toby rolled his eyes. "No," he said shortly.

Cora snorted. "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious!" Toby said seriously, looking her in the eye. "I supposedly died and Dad made Astro as a replacement of me. He didn't know I was dead and Astro had no control over it. It wasn't his fault. I turned out alive—yay me—and Dad made the decision—_not _me—to deactivate Astro as a result. I had no say in the matter. I didn't know anything about it until I heard the announcement. I actually sorta _liked _Astro. As much as being mistaken for him was annoying at times, it wasn't his fault that we look exactly alike." He shrugged. "I only talked to him briefly, but that was long enough to find out he isn't a mindless robot and he isn't an exact copy of me. He has his own humanity, that much is obvious, and I would actually really, really like to study the science of all that, but all in all…he was kinda like…like a twin brother. A long lost one or something. And well…" He looked a bit sheepish, glancing down and focusing on his shoes. "I've always wanted a brother," he admitted softly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Zane and Cora simply gawked at him for a long, awkward moment. Cora couldn't believe her ears, a sudden wash of sympathy toward Toby flowing through her before she hurriedly pushed the emotion down. He couldn't be serious could he? Maybe he was just lying. Maybe he didn't like Astro at all. After all, Astro _was _a replacement of him.

Yeah, that had to be it. Or at least, that was what she told herself.

After a long moment of silence, Zane cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Well," he said slowly. "I guess you can help us then."

_"WHAT?" _Cora exploded, turning on her adopted brother in outrage, before grabbing him by the sleeve of his shirt and dragging him out of hearing distance from Toby.

"Are you _crazy?" _she hissed. "We can't let him help us!"

"Why not?" Zane asked innocently. "He sounded sincere. He likes Astro and wants to help. Why can't he?"

"Did it even occur to you that he might be _lying_?" Cora cried. "Astro _replaced _him! He _said _he had nothing to do with Astro being deactivated but that could be a complete fib. He might just want to 'help' us to report what we're doing to the military or whatever and, and—I don't know! Have us arrested for treason or something!"

Zane just rolled his eyes. "Come _on, _Cora," he said. "He was so not lying. Has anyone ever told you you're a little high strung?"

Cora's eyes blazed with fire and Zane backed up a step. "I can't _believe _you!" she exploded, advancing on him and pointing a finger at his scrawny chest. "How do you know he wasn't lying? Huh? How?"

"Because I can tell, okay?" Zane said, pushing her away from him. "I could see it, in his eyes. He was sincere. Plus, I'm a guy. I can tell these sort of things." He held up his chin a bit like he was proud of this fact.

Cora huffed, but backed away, crossing her arms again. "Yeah, right," she said unbelievingly.

"Come on, Cora, give him a chance!" Zane urged. "He could really help! I mean, what do you and I really know about robotics? Besides the basics? If Astro's in bad shape we'll be helpless with all the advanced system stuff he has, no doubt. Toby is Tenma's son, right? He's probably a little protégé. He said it himself that he wanted to study why Astro was so human-like while you and I could care less about the 'why'."

"Good for you," Cora murmured sourly. "Using words like 'protégé'. Too illiterate for school my butt."

Zane rolled his eyes. "So I played a little dumber that I actually am," he admitted. "I still can't read. But that's beside the point." He frowned; studying the girl he had known almost his entire life carefully.

"You just don't want him with us because he reminds you of Astro," he realized.

Cora head snapped up. "What? No I don't!"

"Don't you lie to me, I know you too well!" Zane said, pointing an accusing finger.

Cora opened her mouth to retort but sighed and gave in. "Fine," she said flatly, venom in her words. "I don't want him around because he reminds me of Astro. There, are you happy?"

Zane smirked. "Yes," he said. "Now give him a chance, will ya? It's not his fault that Astro was modeled after him."

Cora sighed again, closing her eyes. "No, I guess not," she admitted. "But…" she bit her lip, opening her eyes and looking back at Zane, blue eyes sparkling with tears. "They're so similar…" she whispered. "But yet so different…"

Zane frowned. "I know," he said truthfully. "I miss him too. But we need all the help we can get."

Cora frowned, contemplating for a moment, before nodding once.

Zane took this as an okay and quickly turned on his heel, making his way back to Toby, who hadn't moved since they'd left.

"Well?" he asked, obviously trying to keep his tone business-like, but not succeeding. He looked a bit anxious.

"You can stay," Zane confirmed and Toby's face broke out into a smile. Zane's, on the other hand, remained stony. "But I'm telling you now," he said seriously. "No funny stuff. Both me and Cora know the Surface like the back of our hand, and both of us can take you out before you could cry mommy. Got it?"

"Sure," Toby said, grinning. "So. What's the plan?"

"Search," Cora said simply, turning back to her mound of garbage. "Search until we find him. And never, ever give up."

~O~

The search for Astro continued on in silence. Cora went back to her mountain, furiously digging into the trash, and Zane picked a new mound closer to hers. Toby had decided on a trash pile also relatively close and the three of them had gone to work without a word.

Cora had been keeping a sharp eye on the human version of Astro ever since. He seemed to be fine, sifting through the piles of garbage without complaint or any hint of deviousness or distaste. He seemed trustworthy.

But that still didn't mean she had to like it.

She was staring at him now, watching as he quickly glanced at a robot part he had stumbled upon, studying it with interest before tossing it aside and continuing on. She couldn't get over how much he looked like Astro and how alike they acted. Every movement was the same as Astro—every tilt of the head, every shifting of his position. It was uncanny and disturbing and intriguing and saddening and—Cora couldn't even begin to describe all the emotions it caused to bubble to the surface. She hated it. She _hated_ being emotional. It made her feel weak.

Just then, Toby looked up at their eyes met, brown with blue. They stared at each other for a long moment and Cora felt her breath leave her, her mind flashing back unwillingly to the night not long ago when she had looked into those same eyes and kissed the lips of the boy they belonged to.

Except this was not that same boy.

Tearing her eyes away, Cora hastily went back to work, hurriedly blinking back tears that had suddenly appeared.

She _hated _being emotional! She was _never _emotional! Why now?

Just then, her hand brushed something cold, rubbery and familiar feeling and all her thoughts and conflicted emotions disappeared.

She froze, eyes widening in disbelievement as she stared straight ahead, her fingertips just brushing the object.

Then she dove into her pile of garbage and grabbed it frantically, bringing it out into the open.

She felt her heart skip a beat as she saw it, holding it in a death grip as it was revealed in the soft moonlight.

"Zane," she whimpered, too softly for anyone to hear at first. "Zane!" she said again, much louder and more frantic this time.

"What is it?" Zane's voice responded, the sound of metal sliding this way and that reaching her ears as he made his way immediately to her. "Did you find somethi—"

He broke off as he saw it, eyes widening as he came up beside her.

"What is it?" Toby asked, coming up behind them a split second later, panting slightly. "Did you find—"

He too broke off as he saw it.

There, in Cora's hand, was Astro's arm. His _arm. _No other part of his body was present but the arm, starting at the shoulder, where there was a sickening clump of wires sticking out of the end, and coming down to his hand and fingers, hanging limply in the half-light.

Cora took a shaky breath before dropping the arm, turning away, sickened. Zane and Toby simply stared at it.

"They took him apart before dumping him," Toby voiced everyone's thoughts. "Smart."

"Smart?" Zane said shakily. "More like barbaric! How're we going to ever find the rest of him?"

Toby shrugged. "Same way we found this part of him, I guess. Keep searching."

"Let's…let's call it quits for tonight, okay?" Cora suggested, her voice wavering. "We…we found part of him. T-that's a start."

She suddenly felt like she wouldn't be able to handle finding another part of him.

There was a small silence in which the two boys studied Cora, who was shaking a bit but trying to hide it. She was also purposely not looking at the arm.

"Are you okay, Cora?" Zane asked softly, looking concerned.

"Yeah, fine," Cora said dismissively, though she clearly was not. "Let's just go, okay?"

Zane hesitated but nodded, picking up Astro's arm and sliding down the junk mountain. Cora and Toby followed and the trio began to make their way back to the chute in silence.

They had only made it halfway before they heard it.

_**THUNK!**_

"OUCH! What was that for?"

"Sorry."

"You stupid mound of bolts, you almost made me loose a leg! I can't very well lead you lot without a leg, can I?"

Both Cora and Zane looked at each other at the exact same moment, eyes meeting.

"RRF," they said in unison.

"The what?" Toby said, bewildered.

"Over here, genius," Cora said, grabbing him by the sleeve and dragging him behind another trashed hover-car quickly, squatting down behind it. Zane followed, still clutching Astro's detached arm.

A moment later, the Robot Revolutionary Front turned the corner in all their glory. First was Sparx, marching majestically and limping a bit with a slightly dented right leg. Behind him lumbered Robotsky, marching forward with his big, hulking red form. And last, Mike the Fridge, somehow keeping up at the rear.

The RRF. Fantastic.

"Who are they?" Toby whispered, watching the three robot goofballs in interest.

"The Robot Revolutionary Front," Cora explained, rolling her eyes. "A bunch of idiot robots that believe that they are fighting for robot kind's freedom. A worthy cause, I guess, except for the fact that they still follow the Laws of Robotics, so all they do is come up with plots to gain freedom either peacefully or by non-lethal things. Like feathers. And spray paint."

Zane grinned. "Heh, I remember the spray paint one…" he murmured.

Toby made a face. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," Cora said, rolling her eyes. "They kidnapped Astro when he first got here."

"Actually, now that I look back, they might have been recruiting him," Zane said thoughtfully.

It was Cora that made a face now. "Ew!" she exclaimed. "You're probably right! Ugh. I hadn't thought of that."

Zane chuckled and the three of them went back to watching the RRF in silence.

The three robots were oblivious to their presence and talking amongst themselves loudly as they walked. As they got closer, it became much easier to hear the conversation.

"—very smart of him, doing that," Sparx commented.

"And brave too," Robotsky murmured.

"Very!" Mike piped up.

"I think we should all take a moment of silence for the bravery our newest member has displayed. Shall we?"

The robots stopped for a moment, standing in silence, before continuing on.

Cora glanced at Zane, raising an eyebrow. Her question was clear: _since when has the RRF had a new member?_

Zane shrugged in response and Cora turned back to the group of robots with a frown.

And froze as Sparx turned so that she saw his right arm for the first time since they had appeared.

There, clutched in the blue machine's right hand, was a big, red boot.

_Astro's _boot.

Cora gasped and her eyes flew to Astro's arm, lying in the dust at Zane's side. Zane looked to it as well, before glancing back at the RRF. His eyes widened.

In an instant, they both realized who the Revolution's 'new member' was.

Cora's eyes narrowed.

"Cora, don't!" Zane yelled, but the headstrong young girl had already jumped to her feet and raced out into the open, skidding to a halt in front of three very startled robots.

"YOU!" she yelled, eyes blazing, pointing an accusing finger at Sparx, who looked horrified.

"AH! It's the enemy!" he screeched, turning to try and flee, but Cora grabbed him by his spindly mechanical arm and pulled him back with force.

"You're not going _anywhere_, sparky," she hissed. "Not until you tell me what you did with Astro."

"Astro?" Sparx repeated, looking confused. "We haven't done anything to him! We would never hurt another comrade."

"Then how did you get your hands on _this?_" Cora accused, wrenching it out of Sparx's hand and holding it up. "Happened upon it, I suppose?"

"Cora!" Zane exclaimed, coming up next to her and dragging her a few feet away from Sparx, who was practically shaking from the obvious rage in Cora's voice. "Calm down!" he hissed, yanking Astro's boot away from her. "Think! Do you really think that the RRF has done anything to Astro?"

Cora opened her mouth to retort angrily, before closing it and looking sheepish. Duh. The RRF wouldn't do anything to hurt Astro. He was a 'member'. A fellow robot.

She suddenly felt really stupid.

Zane rolled his eyes before turning to the robots, setting down Astro's boot and arm down in the dust before them.

"Astro," he said flatly. "Do you know where he is?"

"Comrade Astro?" Sparx echoed, perking up. "Why, our fellow robot revolutionary friend is on a mission, of course! A top secret one, that is. He's infiltrating the enemy base! He's a smart one, he is. Pretending to be battery-less so that Hamegg would pick him up and bring him straight into his lair. Sheer genius!" He grinned before frowning at bit at the arm and boot. "Though I don't know why he forgot so many of his parts," he noted, before shrugging. "I'm sure it's all part of the plan. Making himself really look dead! It's brilliant, I say."

Cora and Zane barely heard what he said. They had both frozen at one single word.

_Hamegg._

.

.

**(A/N: Alrighty! So, a couple notes.**

**One, I wasn't incredibly happy with the flow with this chapter, and I read through it a bijillion times trying to figure out how to fix it, but couldn't. I think it's okay, but I wasn't completely thrilled with it, so I'd like to hear what you guys think. I ended up ending this chapter a bit earlier than planned because I felt like a conflict was being introduced and then resolved too fast, so it is shorter than planned but hopefully better.**

**Okay, characterization notes. I wanted Cora to be all emotional because she is still so upset about Astro. Hence her many mood swings. First, she is hopeful, then hopeless, the frustrated, then angry, then furious, then sheepish, then grumpy, then horrified and sickened, then confused, then outraged, then horrified again. It all kinda goes with all that is happening to her in such a small amount of time, and the crushing impact of losing Astro. **

**For Zane, I wanted him to be more level-headed because he has a much less of a temper than Cora and loses it much less. So while Cora freaks out, he sees things (at least a little bit more) logically, and is one of the few people that can calm her down and get her to see reason (since he has known her so well and for so long).**

**As for Toby, I wanted him to be confident and sure in his choice to follow Cora and Zane to the Surface (I think he would be a bit freaked out about that, since he has never set foot there and is unsure probably of what it is going to be like,) and sincere in wanting to help, but not really sure how and a bit awkward and unsure at the same time because he is not comfortable with the situation. I ended up with a sometimes-confident, sometimes-unsure feel for him this chap as a result. I also wanted him to admit he liked Astro and that he saw him as a potential twin brother, because I think it's cute. :)**

**Had to get the RRF in there I mean...the RRF! There to funny to not be in her somewhere! Plus, this story is so angsty I think it needs a bit of comic relief. More on them next chapter.**

**With the conference meeting, I wanted to basically explain why Astro ends up on the Surface in pieces and to show a bit more of Logan. That was about all with that and I hope it make sense.**

**As for the very first part…I'm not going to tell you what that was about. MWHAHAHA!**

**Well, that's all, really! Tata for now!)**


	14. Astro

**(A/N: Hey guys! A quick update, wooo! So, quick, note. I changed something quickly in the last chap. During Logan's meeting, I added a bit to the end that I completely spaced on—whoops—and a couple small things requested by the lovely Mira Kial. I would appreciate it if you guys check out the edit.**

**Another note, getting quite a lot of predictions! I find it quite humorous to go through all your guys' ideas and see which are close, which are on the right track, and which are way off (there is a combination of all of them). Keep up the great guesses guys but…well, none of you have gotten the full thing quite yet. I must say, it is a joy keeping you in suspense.**

**Because I have to leave real soon, I'm going to skip the thank you list today, but just know how much I love all you lovely reviewers to death and how much I truly appreciate your feedback .Thank you guys so much!  
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**Enjoy!)**

Cora felt her blood run cold.

Oh no. Nononononononono.

"_No_," she whispered in horror, eyes wide. "_He _has him!"

This was _so_ notgood!

"This is bad," Zane said worriedly, voicing Cora's thoughts and looking disturbed. "If Hamegg has him, he is now officially doomed."

"He has _most_ of him," Toby interjected, coming up to the group from his hiding spot and revealing himself, eyeing Astro's missing pieces. "Whoever 'Hamegg' is. Who's he?"

Cora couldn't muster the energy to explain. All she could do was stare straight ahead in terror. Zane opened his mouth to explain the dreadfulness of the situation to the clueless boy, but was cut off.

"COMRADE ASTRO!" Sparx exclaimed, exploding with excitement at the sight of Toby. "You have returned from your mission! It has been a success! Robotsky, we must initiate our victory ritual!"

"Right!" Robotsky said, grinning for a moment before his face fell into confusion. "Ummm, Sparx?"

"What?"

"What is our victory ritual?"

Sparx frowned, putting a finger to his metal lips. "I don't know," he said finally. "We will make up a ritual then!" he decided, throwing his hands in the air, and the other robots cheered.

Toby backed up a step, looking horrified. Cora quickly intervened.

"He's _not_ Astro," she said loudly, interrupting the RRF's cheer.

"Huh?" Sparx said, confused by Cora's comment, looking back at Toby. "What do you mean, of course he is our comrade Astr—"

He broke off as he looked at Toby more closely, realization dawning on his metal face.

"AH!" he exclaimed, jumping back and pointing at Toby with a shaky, horrified finger. "He is a HUMAN!"

Both Robotsky and Mike stared at Toby, (well, Mike mostly just face him,) before screaming and jumping back as well, Mike's door swinging open in unison with his scream before shutting.

Toby blinked and turned to Zane.

"Don't ask," Zane said with a sigh.

Cora hardly noticed. She was livid.

Hamegg had Astro. He had found him before they had—at least, the majority of him. Who knew what the evil robot master was _doing _to him, right now?

It was enough to make fear grip her heart. They had to get to him. And _fast_.

"We need to find Hamegg," she told Zane, looking straight ahead unblinkingly. "Right. Now."

"Right," Zane agreed, breaking into a jog to block the now-fleeing RRF's path. "Where did Hamegg take Astro?" he asked them sharply, crossing his arms and looking menacing so they stopped in their tracks.

"B-back to his lair, of course," Sparx spluttered, looking a bit frantic before putting on a brave face and moving into what he must have thought was a Karate stance. "Now step aside! I do not wish to hurt you, but if I must I must, foul human!" he threatened.

Zane rolled his eyes and stepped aside.

Sparx looked surprised that Zane had listened for a moment, before composing himself and standing tall. "That's right," he said grandly, marching passed the teenager with dignity. "You know when the odds aren't in your favor, human! Robots are on our way up in society! RRF! Move out!" He raised his hand and pointed forward regally before marching in the direction of their 'secret' hideout, Robotsky and Mike at his heels.

"Good riddance," Zane muttered, rejoining the group.

"He has Astro back at the orphanage," Cora said frantically, eyes still distant. "We need to go there. NOW."

"Right," Zane agreed, leading the way in the direction of the orphanage without a second thought. Cora followed, taking the lead with much bigger, fury-driven strides.

"Whoa, whoa, wait!" Toby exclaimed, hurrying to keep up with the other two kids' fast strides. "Can either of you explain to me who Hamegg is and why he has Astro? And where are we going? Shouldn't we be getting back?"

Zane glanced at Cora, hoping she might explain, but she looked like she hadn't even heard Toby. Worry filled her features and her hands, which were curled into fists, were shaking slightly. Zane frowned at this but didn't really know what to do about it, so he decided to answer Toby's question instead.

"Hamegg is…" he started to say, before trailing off, not knowing how to explain. Hamegg, after all, had quite a history. "He ran an orphanage on the Surface we used to live at," he said finally. "He was also the ring leader of the Robot Games, a competition where you put your best fighting robots against each other in an arena for money. He hates Astro, and if he has him, we don't have much time."

Toby's eyes widened. "Hamegg!" he repeated loudly, realization hitting him. "He's the guy that put Astro in the Games!"

Zane blinked, surprised. "Yeah," he said slowly, looking at the boy with a frown. "How'd you know that?"

"Astro told me," Toby recalled. "_That's _why I knew the name 'Hamegg'."

Zane's frown deepened. "When did you talk to Astro?" he asked.

"Before he disappeared," Toby answered, shrugging. "The day I woke up in the street. He left sometime during the night and I haven't seen him since."

"Hmm," Zane said, narrowing his eyes as he looked ahead at the horizon, where the sun was just starting to rise, washing a slight orangey glow over the Surface.

And framing the small dark shape ahead that was Hamegg's orphanage, surrounded by the mountains of Surface trash they were currently wading purposely through.

He saw Cora's jaw tighten out of the corner of his eye. She was furious and shaking with rage and more than a little bit worried about Astro. The thought of just seeing him after what had happened was scary. But seeing him after Hamegg had done who-knows-what to him?

Paralyzing.

"I'm going to rip that fat little man limb from limb," she hissed. "If he did anything to hurt Astro, I'll—"

"Whoa, cool it, sis," Zane said, keeping a straight head. Normally, he was on Cora's side, and was, even in the situation, but with only half the explosive temper. He knew all too well how Cora would barge in without forethought and make a mess. "I take back what I said before. We don't know that Hamegg has done anything to Astro."

"Yet," Cora spat. "But it's no secret that Hamegg hates him after what Astro did to his Games! And it's also no secret that Astro's super powerful. He'll try to fix Astro and make him do his every will and you know he will, Zane."

Zane had to admit she was right. Hamegg was power hungry and plenty smart enough to put Astro back together again and get him working. He would no doubt try and use Astro's power to his advantage.

But there was no way in a million years Zane—and definitely not Cora—were about to let him do that.

Before long, the orphanage came into full view, looming ahead. The three teens approached it slowly, Cora practically shaking with rage. Zane braced himself to stop her from barging in. She had that look in her eyes again. That murderous look she got right before she blew up.

It was never a pretty sight. Any not very ladylike, at that. But then again, when was Cora _ever _ladylike?

Zane tried to recall a time, but failed. Cora was Cora and that was that.

"He's probably in his workshop if he's anywhere," he whispered to her as they snuck around the back and pressed themselves against the wall in the shadows.

"Great," Cora whispered back, seething. "I say we go around there, bust the door open and tackle him. Then take Astro and run."

"Doesn't that seem a bit…direct?" Toby said doubtfully.

Cora glared at him. "The suns coming up," she pointed out. "We aren't going to be able to hide out here for very long. Do you have a _better _idea?"

"No," Toby admitted. "But bursting in on him isn't much of a plan."

"Well, at least it's _something_," Zane interjected, trying to make peace a bit as Cora shot daggers at Toby, looking about ready to punch him. They didn't need a fight right now. "Let's just see the situation, okay? We can sneak in through the front. I know how to pick the lock; it's a real old one."

Cora didn't look happy, but nodded. "Fine," she said hotly, turning to lead the way to the front of the building. Zane and Toby followed behind.

Sure enough, as they reached the front door, Zane whipped out a paperclip and picked the lock without issue, opening it slowly, so it would not squeak. Soundlessly, the three kids slipped inside.

The orphanage was empty, much to their relief. Not a sound disturbed the silence and that was all the proof Cora and Zane needed to know that none of the kids were home. The orphanage was _never _this quiet otherwise.

Hamegg's workshop was at the back of the building, separate from the rest of the orphanage and guarded by a mass of robot parts practically blocking the door. Without a word, Cora and Zane led the way toward the shop, Toby following close behind; taking in the orphanage's interior with interest as he went.

They reached it quickly. Zane glanced at Cora briefly as he moved toward the door handle, and she nodded once, giving him the go ahead.

Zane nodded and squatted down, inserting his paperclip in the lock and working his magic.

Cora took up position behind him, muscles tensing as she prepared to rush Hamegg the moment Zane opened the door. Toby copied her, standing a little ways behind her and preparing himself, though he looked a lot less menacing.

Suddenly, there was a small _click, _and the door swung open.

All three kids immediately barged in, Cora grabbing the first thing she saw—a wrench—and holding it in front of her like a weapon.

"GAH!"

The startled cry of Hamegg filled the room as the fat man whirled around from his position at his work bench, eyes falling on the three enraged teens. Particularly Cora and her wrench.

His eyes widened and he backed up a step, eyeing the wrench. "Now, children—" he began.

"Don't 'child' me!" Cora growled, advancing and poking the mustached man in the stomach with the tip of her wrench, her nose inches for his. Zane and Toby stood behind her, covering her, both tense and at the ready. "Where is he? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?"

"Astro?" Hamegg said breathlessly, wincing at the touch of the wrench. "I haven't done _anything _to him! I swear, Cora! Calm down!"

"No, I will _not _calm down!" Cora screeched, pushing the wrench harder against Hamegg tweed jacket. "WHERE IS HE?"

"Right there, on the bench!" Hamegg squeaked.

Cora looked to the workbench, but Hamegg's giant frame blocked her view.

The teenager glared up at the man. "Move," she hissed, her voice low, dangerous and full of venom.

Hamegg immediately moved out of her way, putting his hands up in surrender.

Cora glared after him, before turning slowly to look at the bench.

She felt her breath leave her.

Astro lay upon the metal table, spread eagled and missing both arms and a leg. His head was detached from his torso, wires sticking out from his neck that sparked a bit as she stared at them, making her cringe. His eyes were closed and his mouth formed a simple straight line.

He didn't move.

For not the first time, Cora felt tears brewing in her eyes and she began to shake a bit, her grip loosening on the wrench. Seeing him, deactivated and decapitated like this, somehow was the worst of all. Worse than finding out that he was dead, worse than finding his arm. She choked slightly, and tears began to flow down her cheeks, staining them.

She stared at his head, purposely blocking out his neck from her view, so he simply looked like he was sleeping, his hair still forming those perfect spikes of his.

She couldn't help but imagine how it had looked when he was smiling at her, his mouth forming that grin of his, his soft brown eyes making butterflies appear in her stomach.

She felt Zane come up beside her, flanked by Toby.

She glanced at him, biting her lip fiercely, trying to hold back the wave of tears only to see him silently crying too, much to her horror.

Zane never cried.

"He's in bad shape," Hamegg said softly from the corner. Cora had some vague part of her tell her to go over there and punch him to make him shut up, but she could barely form the thought, let alone go through with it. She couldn't stop staring at Astro. "I found him like this. Well, his torso first, his head later and another leg later on. I've been putting him back together, but it's slow work, especially considering I'm missing a lot of him. Plus, I've only been at it a couple hours. Didn't discover him till just three hours or so ago, so I haven't had a whole lot of time to study how damaged he is exactly."

There was a small silence. In it, Cora began to try and pull herself together, rage slowly growing in her as she stared at Astro's broken form. The government had done this to him. His father had done this to him.

What kind of evil people _lived _in that city? People that would do this to an innocent, caring robot?

It was cruel. Barbaric.

And it sparked a flame of hatred inside of her.

The people that did this to Astro would pay. She would make sure of that.

Her rage gave her focus and after a few seconds, Cora got a grip on herself.

"What did you do to him?" she asked Hamegg coolly, voice even and stony. She never once looked away from Astro.

"Do to him?" Hamegg echoed. "Why, I've done nothing to him. Simply worked to put him back together."

"You didn't rewire him?" Cora asked accusingly. "Add any extra programming to bend him to do your will?"

"No."

Eyes narrowing, Cora rounded on Hamegg, blue eyes blazing with unholy fire. "Don't _lie _to me Hamegg," she said, her tone full of hatred and rage. It was incredibly scary and Hamegg flinched.

"I didn't do anything to him, I swear," Hamegg said frantically, eyes wild. "Astro and I are on good terms now! I wouldn't hurt him!"

Cora frowned at him, searching his eyes to see if he was telling the truth.

She hated herself for it, but she could tell he was being honest.

"Fine," she hissed. "So supposedly you didn't do anything _sneaky _to him. Why are you fixing him then? And what do you mean, 'on good terms'? Astro _hates _you!"

"Maybe he did before," Hamegg said calmly, recovering now that he saw that Cora was not going to attack him with her wrench. "But not anymore. We talked. He forgave me for what I did, and we agreed to be friends. I am fixing him in honor of that friendship. And for saving my life."

Cora's frown deepened as she recalled that moment. When ZOG was going to crush Hamegg and Astro had intervened, saving him.

"That's it?" she said disbelievingly. "You and him made up because he saved your life and that's why you're fixing him?"

"Yes," Hamegg said sincerely, nodding.

Cora's eyes narrowed, cocking her head a bit. "When did you two talk?" she asked suspiciously. "When was Astro ever on the Surface after what you did?"

"It was just a couple days ago," Hamegg said, thinking and brushing off his ugly vest. "I don't remember exactly. All I know it that I found him by the trash mounds, lying there, shut off with that blue orb—the Blue Core—sitting next to him. I brought him back here, to my workshop, and turned him back on. He was wary of me at first, and hostile, but after a moment he just seemed dejected, like he didn't even care. At first I thought someone had simply shut him off and left him where I found him, but once I got him talking he admitted that he had shut himself off."

Cora's eyes widened in shock and her mouth fell open, all her rage suddenly leaving her. "_What?"_

Hamegg nodded solemnly, stepping forward a bit so he was in the middle of the room now. "I'm not joking," he said seriously. "He admitted that he had committed _suicide_. Obviously, I was horrified. Why would he do such a thing? Eventually, I got it out of him that his father had rejected him in favor of his real son, Toby, would had apparently not died." He shrugged. "He felt like he had nowhere else to go and no other reason to live, so he shut himself off."

Toby made a small noise at the mention of his name, and Hamegg glanced at him. After a moment, Toby's features sunk in, and his eyes widened.

"_You're _Toby, aren't you?" he realized, aghast.

Toby nodded, looking upset. "I didn't know…" he said softly, his voice sounding exactly like Astro's. This tidbit sent a disturbed look flitting across Hamegg's face. "If I had known…I would have tried to stop him. But I didn't know."

Hamegg stared at him, his eyes meeting Toby's brown ones. "You're Tenma's son?" he asked.

Toby nodded. "Yeah."

"Hmph," Hamegg huffed. "Figures. You seem like less of a jerk, at least."

Toby frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, you don't know?" Hamegg said bitterly. "Your father_ fired_ me. That's why I'm stuck down here in this junk heap instead of playing with the big boys."

Toby blinked. "He _fired _you?" he repeated. "Why?"

Hamegg shrugged. "Because he's a jerk and didn't like what I was doing," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "But that's beside the point. What's up with him? He still with that girl of his? What's her name? Eliza?"

"Esmeralda," Toby breathed, his expression changing to one of sorrow. "My Mom."

Zane, Cora and Hamegg all stared at him.

"Uh oh," Hamegg said, noticing the sadness on the boy's face. "What happened to her? She get hurt?"

"She…she died," Toby explained softly. "Not long after I was born. I…I have no memories of her."

There was a stunned silence.

Hamegg swallowed, looking uncomfortable. "How…how did she die?"

"Metro Express accident," Toby said flatly, focusing on his shoes. "She was severally injured and didn't make it."

Another small silence.

"I'm sorry," Hamegg said finally.

Toby shrugged. "It's okay," he said, though his face said otherwise. "It happened a long time ago. Dad doesn't like to talk about it."

Hamegg bit his lip. "She was a pretty girl," he said softly. "Gorgeous actually. I always wondered how the nerd got her."

Toby smiled. "Yeah," he said quietly. "I always have too. Dad said she was smart. Really smart, and she was blessed with looks too. He said that she was perfect for him."

"Amen to that," Hamegg murmured. "The looks and smarts, I mean."

Toby grinned a bit, before looking back down at his shoes forlornly.

There was an awkward silence.

"So," Cora said finally, breaking it, her focus returning as she digested everything a bit. She forced herself to not think about Astro's attempt at suicide. The mental image was too horrible. "Astro."

Hamegg frowned, looking away from Toby and back to Cora. "Well, the kid was set on dying," he said unhappily. "I tried to talk him out of it but he wouldn't listen. I even offered for him to stay here, but he told me the only place he belonged was at home with his father, and if he couldn't have that, then it was time for him to die. In the end, I couldn't convince him and he left. On good terms at least. He forgave me for what I did to him, and believed me when I said I was truly sorry and that I didn't realize how…how amazing of a robot he was until he saved my life. Or that he actually really did have feelings." He frowned, looking up at the three children. "Guess it didn't do any good," he said softly. "He's gone. I can put him back together, but he won't work without the Core."

He glanced at Astro's open chest hatch, which was empty. "The Metro guys aren't dumb," he commented glumly. "There is no way in a million years they would have dumped the Core down here. They're keeping it back in the city, under major military protection, no doubt. I don't see how we can possibly get it. I know if _I _set one foot into Metro City I'll be blasted halfway to Mars. Believe me, I'd try otherwise."

Cora felt the tears return at his words and she glanced back at Astro, staring at his damaged, scattered form. She took a big breath of air to try and calm herself before looking away from him and back to Hamegg.

"You really want to help him?" she asked carefully.

Hamegg nodded. "Of course," he said sincerely. "He saved my life."

Cora nodded, considering for a moment. A plan was starting to form in her mind.

"Okay," she said. "You can put him back together?"

Hamegg nodded. "It might take some time, but I can, yes. His systems are advanced, but I've already began to grasp them from looking at what I've gotten so far. I can do it."

Cora bit her lip, thinking, before nodding. "Okay," she said again. "I've got a plan. Hamegg, you work on getting Astro put back together. We got his other leg and one arm, as well."

She nodded to the appendages, which were sitting on the ground next to Zane. Hamegg glanced to them and his face lit up. "Splendid!" he exclaimed. "I only need his other arm, then."

"Right," Cora said. "We'll get the RRF on that. Once we get it through their sorry excuse for brains that Astro is actually dead and not just playing dead, I'm sure they'll help. While they do that, me, Zane and Toby will go after the Core."

Hamegg blinked. "How're you gonna manage that?" he asked, stunned by Cora's boldness.

"We'll find out where it's being kept and get it by any means necessary," Cora said confidently, a determined look in her eyes. "I'm not going to let Astro stay off. Not when I can do something about it."

Toby nodded thoughtfully at these words, putting a finger to his lips. "We can talk to Elefun," he suggested. "A scientist my Dad works with. I bet he would help us try and get the Core."

Cora cocked her head. "Is that the scientist with the big noise?" she asked slowly, recalling a scientist she had met only briefly.

Toby nodded, looking surprised. "Yeah. Do you know him?"

Cora nodded, remembering the man from when she had discovered Astro, dead, in the field after the demolition of the Peacekeeper. He had obviously known Astro for Astro and liked him. She figured he'd be trustworthy. "Okay, we'll go to him and see if he can figure out where the Core is," she decided. "Maybe he can get us clearance somehow. Either way, we'll get in, no matter what. I'm not going to give up."

Toby nodded. "I can hack," he offered helpfully. "Really well. I can bypass whatever you need me to."

Cora raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Toby smiled. "Son of a genius, remember?" he said, a tad cockily.

"I'll come too," Zane said, looking just as determined as Cora.

"Actually, do you think you can stay here with me, Zane?" Hamegg asked timidly. At some point, he had moved so that he was now standing over Astro on the work bench. He picked up Astro's head and examined it carefully. "Looking at his systems more closely," he said slowly, putting the head down and picking up the arm Cora had found. "I'm going to need an assistant. I can't do it all on my own."

Zane looked dejected. "But I don't know much about robotics!" he complained.

"You don't need to," Hamegg assured him. "I'll tell you what to do."

Zane looked to Cora helplessly. "Why can't Toby help him?" he asked. "He knows way more than I do."

Sure enough, Toby had come up next to Hamegg and was actually working to connect Astro's arm back to his shoulder, much to Hamegg's surprise. It was clear he was impressed.

"Zane, no offense, but I'll need him in case we need his tech skills to hack," Cora said gently. "I'm sorry."

Zane looked crestfallen. "Whadda 'bout you?" he tried as a last resort. "Why can't you stay back?"

Cora leveled him with a glare. "Me?" she pointed to herself. "Him?" she pointed to Hamegg. "Same room working on the same thing for a long period of time?"

Zane frowned but realized she was right. That was a bad idea.

He sighed dejectedly. "Fine," he gave in. "It's not fair though! You get to do the fun stuff."

Cora patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. "Sorry," she said sincerely. "But this is the way it's gotta be. Remember, this is for Astro."

Zane didn't look happy, but he nodded. "For Astro," he repeated.

Cora smiled and gave him a quick hug, before walking over to Hamegg and Toby.

"Let's go," she said briskly.

Toby glanced up from Astro, looking surprised. "Right now?"

"Right now," Cora said seriously. "We have no time to waste."

Toby looked at Astro's dismantled form reluctantly, like he really wanted to stay and work on him, but nodded. "Okay, let's go," he said.

Cora smiled, and the two of them turned to leave.

"Good luck you two!" Hamegg called after them.

"Don't get killed!" Zane yelled helpfully. "And don't go back home or your mother will kill you!"

"Bye!" Cora called over her shoulder, before closing the door to the workshop and leaving the orphanage.

She and Toby headed to the chute leading back up to the city in silence.

Walking purposely and confidently with her hands curled into fists at her side, a controlled fury flowing through her, Cora pictured Astro's cute little face, remembering the grin that had spread across it after she had kissed him. Recalling the feel of her lips on his, she remembered watching him fly away through the star-filled sky like a dream.

_I'm going to get you back, Astro, _she thought confidently, eyes fixed on the grounded island of Metro City ahead. _I'm going to get you back. And then everything is going to be perfect again._

_ Just like how I wished on that shooting star for it to be._

.

.

**(A/N: Yay it's done! **

**So, few quick notes. No real character ones, I think it was self-explanatory. Cora's really, really mad and determined, Zane too, Toby just wants to help and Hamegg wants to make up for his mistakes. There you go.**

**Now, I want to make something clear. I know you guys are all like, yay things are going to get exciting, and this chapter wasn't **_**that **_**exciting and I wanted to explain. This story goes like this: plot set up, exciting part, set up for next exciting part, exciting part, etc, big exciting ending, aftermath. So there is going to be a couple chapters still of set up before chapters with excitement, not just all excitement. Just thought I'd make that clear, since that's how the plot roles. It's much better and more suspenseful this way, hang with me. **

**Another note! Shout out to Desiree Phantom for somehow (no idea how) predicting Cora was going to grab a wrench. I seriously have no idea how you knew that. O.O Kudos to you!**

**That's all for now, folks! Tata for now!)**


	15. The Fifth Color

**(A/N: Heyy guys…I'm back? Heh, heh, sorry it's been so long. Seriously. Sorry. I could probably write a whole chapter on how crazy my life has been since I've last updated, but I doubt you guys really care much about my boring life. If you want to hear, though, feel free to PM, as always. On a good note, yay, chapter's finished! I've been writing this on my study halls since forever, it seems. Didn't help that the chapter I was writing when my schedule exploded was such a long one. 38 pages, yikes! But I'm really happy with it and I think it's really decent for something I was unsure of writing going in. I didn't really have this chapter quite as planned out as I did others and it's a bit of a crucial one.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy, despite my long absence! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited and followed this story! 242 reviews, ah! I'd list you all, but I want to get this posted before I get kicked off my laptop. It means soooo much guys, I can't even tell you! Thank you! **

**Enjoy!)**

The sun had just begun to really shed its light on the world by the time Toby and Cora made it to the Ministry of Science. It was still early, five-thirty or so, but Toby seemed confident that Dr. Elefun would be there and his father would most definitely _not, _much to Cora's obvious relief.

They managed to reach the main entrance without opposition, a set of blue double doors made of some sort of slick metal before them. Cora pushed on one hard, hoping against hope that it would swing open at her touch.

It didn't.

Realizing the attempt was fruitless, she stepped back and frowned.

"Well, that's a setback," she commented, crossing her arms.

"No worries," Toby said, waving her concerns off as he ignored the doors all together and moved to a small panel on the silver wall next to them that Cora had completely overlooked.

He studied the panel for a moment, which was alight with many little buttons on its blue holo-screen pad, asking for complex codes and scans.

Cora's head spun just looking at it.

But Toby seemed completely unfazed and whipped out a holo-pad from his backpack—which Cora had hardly noticed he had with him till this point—and connected it to the holo-screen panel with an old-fashion wire to the side of the building.

Once it was connected, the small genius let go of the holo-pad, leaving it floating in midair on its own devices and began to type on it fiercely, glancing up at the panel's screen now and then.

Cora watched his fingers fly, completely unable to follow his progress as pop-up screens appeared and then disappeared faster than she could comprehend. It gave her a headache.

"I really hope what you're doing is hacking," she said, after a moment of watching him work.

Toby responded with a small nod. "Give me another sec…" he murmured, distracted, before his face broke into a smile.

"There!" he said, looking up and grinning at Cora with eyes sparkling with victory, before unplugging his holo-pad dramatically.

He looked to the doors and stared at them for a moment, counting silently in his head.

"Open sesame!" he then said grandly at the precise moment, spreading his arms.

The doors swung open automatically, as if on his command.

Toby's grin widened and he put his arms down, raising an eyebrow at Cora.

Cora vaguely realized her mouth was hanging open and closed it quickly.

"C'mon, genius," she muttered sourly, grabbing Toby by the sleeve and dragging him into the building. The doors shut by themselves behind them.

"What, you didn't like my performance?" Toby asked, sounding a bit hurt.

Cora rolled her eyes, but smiled a bit without thinking. "No," she admitted. "I did. I just don't like it when boys upstage me. I prefer to be the one on top. Comes with being a Surface gal. We're tough as nails."

There was a small silence as Toby considered this.

"I see," he said finally, sounding satisfied. "I can see that. You aren't like most girls, that for sure."

Cora's brow furrowed at his words and she glanced at him for a moment, before regretting it. Looking into his eyes was just like looking into Astro's. She quickly looked away.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she answered lamely, beginning to walk at a brisk pace and starting to make her way out of the building's spacious, richly-decorated lobby and into the main complex. She didn't have the slightest clue of where she was going and didn't care. She couldn't get the look of understanding and agreement she had seen in Toby's eyes out of her head.

"Oh, I think you do," Toby said nonchalantly, matching her strides and sending daggers into her heart. "You lived on the Surface for what…quite some time? With a lot of boys, like Zane, I'm sure. And some rogue, dangerous robots probably…"

Something snapped spontaneously in Cora at his wording at this.

She rounded on him, eyes blazing. "_Rogue, dangerous robots?" _she repeated, furious. "Are you _implying _something?"

Toby blinked, surprised. "No," he said innocently. "What would I be implying?"

"_Astro _was a rogue robot!" Cora growled, her temper rising at Toby's innocence. She wasn't sure why she was so trigger-happy right now. It probably had something to do with Hamegg. And Astro. A combination, most likely.

A look of understanding came over Toby's face. "Ohhhh," he said, rolling his eyes, much to Cora's irritation. "I see what you're getting so hyped up about now. You thought I was saying that Astro was a dangerous rogue bucket of bolts?"

"It certainly sounded that way," Cora hissed, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

Toby sighed. "I swear I meant no such thing," he said sincerely. "I was thinking more along the lines of those RRF guys. If they're rogue, I bet there are other rogues too, and some could be dangerous. That's all I meant. I didn't even think about Astro."

Cora didn't want to believe him, but could tell he was being truthful. Like Astro, he was incredibly straight forward with his emotions and very, very easy to read.

Instead of admitting this, however, she turned on her heel and continued on, murmuring an indignant "Fine!" as she did. She didn't uncross her arms and inside her blood still boiled.

Toby walked beside her, keeping pace with her fury-driven steps and seeming unfazed by her anger. Instead, he was looking ahead with curiosity.

"It's funny…" he said slowly after a long moment of silence, still looking down the empty hall in front of them, which were lined with closed, locked doors. "I wasn't under the impression that this is the way to Dr. Elefun's office."

Cora stopped short and turned to glare at him again, leveling her icy blue gaze with his brown one.

"Do_ you _know where his office is?" she asked steely.

Toby shrugged. "Yeah," he said casually.

Cora's hands curled into fists. "Then why didn't you bring that up _before?" _she said through gritted teeth, trying but failing to gain a hold on her temper.

Toby shrugged again. "I thought maybe you knew a detour," he said cheekily, grinning at her again, before turning on his heel and leading them back in the opposite direction.

Cora followed him, fury boiling in her veins as she did.

She was starting to think choosing Toby to come with her wasn't the wisest of ideas. Zane was a hundred times better than this.

He was just so…so…cocky!

And the fact that he looked identical to Astro didn't help things in the slightest.

But she couldn't think about that. Not now. So instead she swallowed her pride and continued to follow Toby through a series of twisting hallways and elevators to Elefun's office.

They stopped in front of his office door, a simple, excluded room toward the back of the Ministry. It hadn't been far from the main lobby, only a ten minute walk, but twenty if you started with Cora Directions.

Figures.

The two of them stopped outside the silvery door in silence, observing it for a long moment.

"Sooo," Cora said finally, taking charge. She crossed her arms over her chest a bit, putting her weight on one leg in thought. "My vote is we break the door down, tie him to a chair and poke his nose with the first pointy thing we find until he tells us where the Core is."

Toby raised an eyebrow, glancing sideways at her. "Sounds a bit violent, don't you think?" he commented evenly, once again unfazed by her personality. Cora found it infuriating. Usually, comments like that with Metro City people sent them in to fits and freak-outs. Cora knew. She'd done it several times. City people were so scared of violence it was comical.

Toby, though, was obviously not your normal Metro City, silver-spoon child.

And because of this, Cora had absolutely no idea how she should treat him. As a Surfacer? N.O. A City kid? Doesn't work. Like Astro?

NO!

He wasn't Astro and didn't deserve to be treated like him.

That left no other options, and Cora knew nothing else but to simply treat him like a Metro City kid regardless of his attitude.

It wasn't working though.

"I don't care if it's violent," she huffed. "It'll work. I get the info I need. If he cooperates, he leaves the experience with no injuries besides a red nose. I see no holes in the plan."

Toby rolled his eyes, causing Cora's eyes to narrow in warning.

"He doesn't _need _to be subdued," he pushed persistently. "He will cooperate freely. He loves Astro as much as you do. Trust me."

Two things rushed immediately through Cora's mind at his words. One, was that she doubted_ anyone_ loved Astro more than she had. _Does. Does _love him. He would not be taken from her permanently. She wouldn't allow it and refused to refer to him in past tense.

And two, that she would never, ever trust Toby completely. _Ever._

But she didn't say that. Instead, she just leveled him with an icy blue glare. "My way is foolproof," she argued with venom.

Toby sighed, looking tired. "I thought you agreed back at Hamegg's that he was trustworthy," he pointed out, exasperated.

"I said he _might _be trustworthy," Cora defended herself hotly. "I don't know for sure. I only met the guy once and we didn't chat a whole bunch. I say better safe than sorry. Besides, violence is always the answer."

"I believe the phrase is, 'Violence is _never _the answer," Toby corrected her smartly.

Little know-it-all!

"Look here, Mr. Smarty-Pants!" Cora exploded, finally losing it. "I don't care who you are or what—"

_**SHINK!**_

Suddenly, the door before them slid open like a sword leaving its scabbard, causing both of them to freeze mid-argument.

Before either of them could recover, Dr. Elefun appeared in the doorway to his office, dressed in his usual white lab coat and carrying a spiffy high-tech holo-pad.

He stopped in his tracks as he spotted the two teens, still as a statue in front of him.

"Oh my!" he exclaimed, eyes widening.

Acting on impulse, Cora immediately grabbed the first thing she saw—a robotic mop—and directed its pointy handle tip at the man before he could utter another word.

"Back into the room slowly," she hissed.

The scientist put his hands up immediately in response and backed into the room. Cora followed him, keeping the mop directed at his nose, and Toby came in behind, closing the door with a press of a button mounted on the wall.

"Sit," Cora commanded, nodding toward a chair nearby, sitting at a holo-computer that nearly filled the small office. The place was rather empty, but fashioned with smooth, modern metal walls and floors. It was an obvious sign of the doctors status.

Elefun sat obediently, setting the holo-pad down on the desk slowly.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked slowly, sounding calm despite the situation and friendly.

"We want to ask you a couple questions, Doctor," Toby explained, looking relaxed. "Sorry about the conditions. I voted no violence but got shot down, as you can see."

"Toby!" Dr. Elefun exclaimed, noticing the boy for the first time and smiling. "My, I didn't notice that that was you! Dear boy, you know you needn't hold me hostage to ask me a question!"

"_I _know," Toby said, rolling his eyes and glancing at Cora. "But _she _didn't believe me."

Elefun frowned a bit and looked back at Cora at this, who was still holding the pointy mop to his nose.

"And who are you, miss?" he asked politely, as if she was _not _pushing a sharp object toward his face and the two of them were simply having a friendly meet-and-greet.

"Cora," Cora grunted. "We met. Briefly. When…y'know."

She was being incredibly vague, but didn't care. Saying 'when Astro died' was simply too painful and she refused to say it.

Elefun seemed to understand what she meant.

"Ah, yes," he said, eyes twinkling with a bit of pain Cora had not expected. "I remember. You were one of his friends. If I recall, you were quite upset to see him in that state."

"Upset?" Cora exploded, throwing the mop down in her rage and sending it crashing onto the metal ground, completely forgetting about holding the doctor hostage in her explosive anger. "He was _dead_! Of course I was upset! And now he's dead _again _because of that _stupid _father of his and I am NOT GOING TO STAND FOR IT!"

Elefun cocked his head, eyes wide with curiosity as he looked thoughtfully at her red cheeks and blazing eyes. He, like Toby, seemed to be unfazed by her anger, much to Cora's further annoyance. This was just not a good day for her short temper.

"I see," the scientist said slowly after a moment, his eyes still focused on Cora.

"I think I see exactly what is going on," he continued, glancing at Toby now, who looked completely calm, but was eyeing Elefun's computer with longing. "You want me to help you get the Blue Core so you can find Astro and turn him back on."

Cora gaped for a moment, shocked for a split second that he had guessed their purpose so easily before quickly regaining her composure. She pointed an angry finger at Elefun, eyes stony.

"Now see here," she spat. "You're going to help us locate that Core and you're going to give us every access code you've got whether you like it or not and I don't care if—"

"Of course I'll help you."

Cora did a double take, completely losing her train-of-threat as her expression changed from that of seething rage to surprise.

She stared at Elefun, dumbfounded.

"What?"

"I said, of course I'll help you get the Core," Elefun said calmly, smiling friendly-like. "All you had to do was ask."

Cora just gawked at him, mouth agape.

Was this guy serious?

Next to her, Toby had his arms crossed over his chest, a smug look on his face. "Toldja," he said cheekily.

Cora was too shocked to rise to the bait. Recovering a bit though, she closed her mouth and crossed her arms also, trying her best to regain her glare as she locked eyes with Elefun.

"You really want to help us?" she asked seriously, never breaking eye contact. "Freely?"

"Yes, of course," Elefun said breezily, like the answer was obvious. "Anything for Astro. I tried my best to talk Tenma out of disposing of him, but he wouldn't listen." He sighed. "I tried not to be pushy, but I flat out disagreed with him on this one. He was wrong to shut him off. But when Tenma is set on something there is no changing his mind, and it didn't help that Astro was on his side."

Cora felt like a knife had been plunged into her heart simultaneously with his words. "Astro agreed with him?" she whispered, suddenly breathless.

She had known that he had wanted to die from Hamegg, but this…

To her despair, Elefun nodded. "I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't listen," he said again, sounding a tad upset. "He said that if his father no longer wanted him, he no longer had a place to belong and therefore it was the time he was destined to die." He frowned and glanced to Toby. "He also said that he believed your reappearance was no coincidence either," he added solemnly. "He thought it was an omen that it was his time to leave and give you your life back."

Toby had the decency to look upset over this fact, and Cora felt her heart plummet, the famed tears welling in her eyes again for the umpteenth time. She didn't even know her body even held as much water as it had exhausted from her eyes these past stressful hours.

She didn't even know what to think. Suddenly, it was all too much. Nothing was clear.

Did Astro even _want _to be rescued?

The question seemed to echo in her mind, ricocheting around in her brain painfully.

Did he even _want_ her to put him back together? To wake him? To bring him back to this world where he is discriminated against and used?

He had said it himself. He hated being used, and he hated being looked down on for his status.

The only thing he wanted was to be human.

And that was something he could never have. That was something Cora could never, ever give to him, no matter how much she wanted to.

A single tear began to roll down her right cheek as she stared out straight ahead into nothingness.

He didn't want to come back. He didn't, did he?

He left.

Left _her_.

After all, his only dream was to be human, right?

Not to be with her.

She wasn't enough to keep his will to live going on.

The pain of this realization hit her in full force and the world around her became fuzzy and blurry. She wasn't sure if Elefun or Toby spoke to her. If they did, she didn't hear them. All that existed was that last, final thought.

_I'm not enough for him to keep his will to live going on._

_ Not enough._

_ Never enough._

A light touch on her arm brought her sharply and painfully back to reality. Slowly this time though. Like an extended, drawn out torture.

"Cora?" The soft voice of Toby—sounding identical to Astro's, right down to the sliver of concern—filled her hearing and she turned to see him, see him come into focus as the tears began to freely flow.

"He doesn't want to come back, does he?" she whispered.

"You don't know that," Toby reassured, frowning. "He thought it was what he was meant to do. He thought it was his destiny."

"Is that all though?" she breathed, looking away. "Or did he secretly want it all to be over? The pain. He is so discriminated against here. Used, like every other robot, when he has the same level of feeling and intelligence we do. Wouldn't death be a blessing for him?"

"Maybe so," Toby said softly. "But you're forgetting part of the equation."

Cora turned to look at him slowly, confusion mixing with her tears. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"You're only bringing up the _bad _things he left behind," Toby smiled, his brown eyes sparkling with understanding. "But you're excluding the _good _things."

"Good things?" Cora echoed sluggishly. "What good things? Astro's life sucked."

"Maybe so," Toby admitted. "But that doesn't mean it is absent of good things. What about the RRF? Sounds like they accept him."

"They're a joke," Cora huffed.

"But not bad," Toby pressed. "What about Hamegg? It seems like he and Astro made up. If he were still living, he'd have Hamegg as a friend, right?"

"I don't trust him," Cora hissed.

"Astro seemed to have," Toby pointed out. "What about Zane and the other kids that lived at Hamegg's? Zane was telling me a bit about them. They don't discriminate against him, do they? They're his friend's right? They don't use him."

Cora had no answer for that.

"What about Orrin?" he continued, pressing forward. "Our housebot. From what I can tell, he and Astro were good friends and talked all the time. What about Elefun? He loves Astro too and will do whatever he can for him. What about me? I want him back too and I want to get to know him like you do."

He paused for a moment.

"And what about you, Cora?" he asked finally, voice soft and lilting, causing Cora to flinch at the mention of her name. "What about you? Astro_ loves_ you. Don't pretend I'm wrong, I know it's true. He loves you, and I know he would do anything for you. Including live for you."

There was a long period of quiet as Cora took this all in, breathing shallowly.

Then, slowly, she met Toby's eyes.

"You really think he would do that?" she asked in a whisper, cheeks red and tearstained. "Live? For me?"

"Positive," Toby said surely, smiling lightly. "Just like I know you would do the same for him, am I right? Just like you're going to do everything in your power to bring him back to life because you know that's what he would do for you?"

Cora's blood turned to ice at the truthfulness in his words.

He was right. She _had _been ready to do everything she could to bring him back…because she _did _know that's what he would do for her.

He was right.

"You're right," she whispered to him, looking into his eyes in wonder, which were twinkling a bit. "You're right!" she repeated, like she could hardly believe it. "He _would _do the same for me and here I am…sitting around bawling my eyes out. I'm such an idiot!"

"Not an idiot," Toby said a little too quickly, and Cora's eyes flickered to him. He blushed.

"I mean, you aren't an idiot," he caught himself. "You're just being human. You experience emotion, just like Astro does. It's natural. Crying isn't a show of weakness. It's human nature."

Cora stared at him for a long period of time.

"Why do you give such good advice?" she asked finally, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

Toby's face broke out into a grin. "Comes with this smarts, I guess," he answered cockily, eyes glinting.

Cora rolled her eyes. "All right, 'nough of _that_," she said, turning around so she didn't have to look at Toby any longer.

She froze as she found Elefun still sitting in his computer chair, watching her with shinning eyes, hands folded.

She had completely forgotten about that dude!

Elefun smiled wide as she caught his eye and he stood, making his way toward her slowly.

"I'm no physiologist," he said softly. "But I think even I can understand what transpired just now."

Cora frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked cautiously.

"You've overcome a barrier," Elefun said, beaming. "A mental barrier that was holding you back. Now, you can work to achieve your goal with full confidence. You love Astro, correct?"

Cora hesitated for a moment, not sure how she felt about admitting this information, but after a moment she got a hold of herself and nodded firmly.

Elefun's eyes twinkled. "Splendid," he said, looking overjoyed. "And he loves you?"

Cora bit her lip, before nodding again, this time a little bit more uncertainly. "I think so," she said softly.

Elefun's eyes crinkled at the edges as his giant smile, if possible, widened. "Wonderful," he sighed. "This is going to be so beautiful to watch unfold. Like those romance novels my mother always read as a child. The woman risking her life to rescue her lover from the depths of Hades!"

There was an incredibly awkward silence following this particular proclamation.

Cora blinked. "Um…okay…?" she said awkwardly, taking another step back.

She would never understand grown-ups.

To her relief, Toby came to her rescue.

"Can we get going, Doctor?" he asked, stepping forward to stand next to Cora. "On finding the Core?"

The short scientist seemed to snap out of a daydream as his shook his head, clearing it. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "Right, of course."

He turned and hurried back to his computer, Cora and Toby at his heels.

The good doctor sat down and turned on the sleeping holo-computer, before pulling up a window Cora didn't recognize and typing at lightning speed. Cora blinked a couple times, unable to comprehend the flurry of words, commands, pop-up boxes and window that opened and closed in a span of a heartbeat. Toby, on the other hand, seemed to be following every keystroke with ease.

"Genius," he muttered under his breath. "Why didn't I think of doing that…"

"What? What's he doing?" Cora asked, brain hurting from trying to understand the technology she was unfamiliar with.

"I'm accessing the Military, G-Building, President's Building and Ministry of Science's classified files using an advanced T-5 204 KSHing program that I developed to hacking professional status myself. Not that I use it for hacking usually, mind you," Elefun explained, not once taking his eyes of the screen.

"It's totally awesome!" Toby added, beaming with excitement and awe.

Cora was completely bewildered. "A whosiewhatsit?" she said, lost.

"A very high-tech and somewhat illegal hacking program," Toby explained to her gently. "It's not just used for hacking though. It has great scientific, engineering and math capabilities as well. He's accessing all the cities Top Secret files and searching them with certain keywords and commands for info on Astro."

"Oh," Cora said, feeling dumb. "Okay. Great. How long will it take to get the information?"

"Not long," Elefun said offhandedly. "I just need to type in one more command and—" he paused dramatically before hitting one more key and sitting back, grinning. "There," he said satisfactorily. "It'll only take a few minutes now."

The three of them watched the now-still screen in apprehension, none of them saying a word.

Finally, a window popped up on the screen on its own, listing a bunch of file names in numerical and alphabetical order.

Elefun beamed and Toby seemed about to explode from excitement. Cora was simply delighted that whatever the doctor had done had apparently worked. As long as she got the info she needed, she didn't care.

"Now we just need to find the file…" Elefun murmured to himself, beginning to scroll through the files and documents at a rather fast pace. Cora wondered if he was familiar with them at all, as he seemed to barely glance at some.

Maybe this guy was higher up than she had originally guessed.

After a good few minutes of scrolling, Elefun suddenly exclaimed "Ah ha!" causing Cora to jump a bit, not having expected the outburst.

"Did you find it?" she asked, leaning closer with wide eyes as Elefun clicked a file labeled ZTrobotics04-Z204-AT.

"I believe so," Elefun replied, sounding excited and just a tad proud. "Assuming I remember my robotics cataloging correctly. You never know. Ah, here we are!"

With a smile, he pulled up a document, riddled with words.

Cora's eyes hurt just looking at it. She had never been very good at reading. Not illiterate—she was much better than Zane—but not near good enough to read the gibberish on _that _page.

Toby, on the other hand, seemed to have no such problem. In fact, he had leaned in eagerly and began to read the page the moment it had appeared on the screen, his eyes darting across the lines at a superhuman pace. Or at least it seemed like it to poor Cora.

After a moment, he leaned back again, the smile slowly leaving his face as he did.

Elefun, too, was no longer smiling.

"Oh, dear…" he muttered, frowning at the screen.

"What?" Cora exclaimed. "What's wrong?"

"This might be a little harder than we thought…" Toby murmured slowly, eyes never leaving the screen as he turned somewhat toward Cora. He read once last line, before pivoting to face her completely.

"The Blue Core is being contained in a secure Military building on the outskirts of the city," he explained. "It has an energy field around its container of P2 voltage, which is fatal. Plus, it can only be accessed by a military ID key and is guarded by armed officals."

Cora felt her heart sink. "That's not good," she managed to get out.

"Not at all," Elefun observed, sitting back. "I don't see how you can possibly get the Core from the facility without a brigade armed with Meta-blasters at your side, assuming you can get in at all. I can help you there, but after that, you'll be on your own. I have no authority with the military."

A small, unhappy silence met this announcement.

"Well, we can't give up!" Cora exclaimed finally, throwing her hands in the air. "Astro's counting on us, and I will _not _let those stupid, stuck up military wacko's stop me!"

"Agreed," Toby said, screwing up his face in thought. "But how are we going to get it? Elefun can get us in the building. I should be able too, if need be, as long as I have my holo-pad to hack with. "

"Do you think you guys are capable of hacking the military's systems?" Cora asked skeptically.

Elefun and Toby glanced at each other, before looking back at Cora with identical, self-assured smiles. "We can," Toby said confidently.

Cora exhaled thoughtfully. "Okay," she said. "So let's say we're in. Where in the building is the Core?"

"Sub-basement containment room 5208," Elefun and Toby said in unison

Cora blinked. "Oookay," she said. "Great. Let's say by some miracle we get there without getting caught. Then what? How do we take out the guards and get the Core without setting a bazillion alarms off?"

Silence met her question. Elefun looked on in dejection, obviously figuring that neither Toby nor Cora stood a chance against the Metro City guards or the no-doubt advanced alarms and protection the Blue Core had.

Toby, on the other hand, simply looked thoughtful. "Well," he said finally, eyes distant and clouded with thought. Both Cora and Elefun turned to look at him, faces hopeful.

"This is purely hypothetical, of course," the teenage genius continued slowly. "But Elefun, you said the guards are armed, correct?"

"Yes," Elefun confirmed slowly, looking confused. "I don't follow you, though."

"Well, if we can get their weapons off of them, it shouldn't be too hard to get them to surrender. Cora's plenty menacing, she can hold a couple guns on them while I jack one of their IDs and get the Core," Toby explained, shrugging like this would be no harder than getting milk at the grocery store.

Cora took this in slowly, frowning, before nodding slowly and allowing herself a small smile. Crossing her arms, she grinned at Toby a bit.

"Violent," she commented. "I like it."

Elefun still didn't look convinced. "It sounds very risky," he warned. "There are so many variables uncounted for. Many things that can go wrong. The P2 voltage alone is fatal."

"I've considered that," Toby said, brushing this worry aside. "If we can short-circuit the control panel for the voltage, we're golden. We just need to find the board, which may or may not be in the room. All I'd have to do for that though is hack the building server—which I'm going to do anyway—and find a detailed building blueprint. Then I'll find the panel, hack it and fry it."

Elefun was silent for a moment, taking in the plan. After a long minute, he nodded slowly. "It is possible," he admitted. "But still incredibly risky."

"I'm willing to take those risks," Toby said confidently. "You, Cora?"

Cora's eyes hardened, blazing with determination. "The risks aren't even in the equation," she said evenly, a steel edge to her tone.

Toby grinned at her, brown eyes sparkling, before turning to Elefun, awaiting his approval.

After a second, the doctor sighed. "I guess there are no further things to rationalize through with this," he admitted. "And I know there is no stopping you, despite the danger. I will, of course, aid you, but I cannot, I'm sure you can understand, come with you due to my position. If I was caught, I could very well lose my job, and I do not want that. I can, however, give you all the entry codes I have collected from my hacking program. I can download them into your holo-pad for you, Toby, but that is all I can do."

Toby nodded respectfully. "Understandable," he said kindly. "Thanks for your help, Elf."

"My pleasure," the scientist said sincerely, smiling. He gestured to his computer. "Shall we?"

Toby grinned, taking out his holo-pad. "Yes, please," he said eagerly, making his way back toward the doctor and his computer.

Cora opened her mouth to say something, but Toby cut her off, reaching Elefun's computer and beginning to connect his device to it.

"As soon as I'm done, we'll leave, Cora," he promised, not looking up. "I know you're anxious to go."

Cora shut her mouth, suppressing a blush as her stomach churned uncomfortably.

It was incredibly unnerving how well he knew her already. Her personality, her impatience, what she had been about to say—

He knew her almost as much as Astro.

Almost.

And that…that was scary.

_But why does it matter? _She asked herself angrily; mad at herself for acting so childish and emotional. _He's not Astro and never will be, so who cares if he knows me? He's. Not. Astro._

She kept telling herself this, but she still found their similarities…unnerving. No matter how many times she told herself she was being silly.

But she couldn't think about that now.

They had work to do.

After a few minutes, Toby finished downloading the entry codes. He smiled at her as he packed up his holo-pad, before nodding to the door.

"Shall we?" he asked.

"Thought you'd never ask," Cora grunted, before walking out the door without another word.

~O~

They reached the outskirts of the city in a lot longer amount of time than Cora would have been originally happy with. Walking, upon reflection, to the obscure military factory from the Ministry of Science, was not the best plan she had ever conducted. To make matters worse, Toby had complained the entire journey about how Elefun probably would have been more than happy to drive them if she hadn't stormed out before they could give him a chance. Cora then hotly retorted that he had nodded toward the door and that had been more than an invitation to flat out leave and that she was not the complete guilty party in this and would he _please _shut up—she stressed the please—before she punched him.

He, of course, did not completely shut up, but at least refrained from bringing up the sore topic up again.

But that was in the past now.

What loomed in front of them was their immediate future.

Cora wasn't quite sure how she felt about that.

Before them stood an ominous-looking, but yet still somewhat inconspicuous, bunker. Cora wouldn't consider it a building; it wasn't near tall enough, not like the other buildings in the heart of the city she was slowly becoming more accustomed with. She figured its size was what made it fairly obscure enough for it to be considered a secure faculty for the military.

Secure, enough, apparently, to keep her Astro's alien heart in.

Ew. She frowned. That sounded weird even in her head.

She made a quick mental note to avoid using the phrase 'Astro's alien heart' in her inner thoughts, before turning to Toby.

"So," she said evenly. "You can get in?"

Her companion simply cocked his head a bit in recognition of her question without taking his eyes off the building before him, brown eyes flickering as he carefully took in the exterior of the building.

"I'm sure I can," he said after a moment, still not looking at her. "I can breach the security codes no problem. I guess I just didn't expect it to be so…armored. Y'know? I mean…what is it? I can't have been built to be a faculty. It doesn't look the part. What was it before?"

Cora frowned, glancing back at the building and observing it more closely. She hadn't thought at first glance that it had been anything at all before, but now that Toby mentioned it, she could see his point. She squinted a bit, taking in the brown, thick metal plates held together with huge nails, forming the small dome in the patch of actual grass - much to Cora's surprise. Most of the grass in the heart of the city was artificial, she found.

And a hole, she noted with interest. A big, square hole cut out on the surface of the dome, covered with what looked like a removable plate.

With a sudden ecstasy, she realized exactly what it was.

"It's an observatory!" she exclaimed.

Toby blinked. "What?"

"An observatory," Cora repeated. "You know, where they study the stars? That's why it's a dome shape, and why there's a hole on the roof—it was built to hold a giant telescope!"

Toby's eyebrows knit together as he studied the building in a new light, taking in Cora's explanation.

"Weird," he said slowly. "I think your right…but there hasn't been an active observatory in Metro City since…well, ever, at least not as far back as I've studied. All Astronomy research is done in the Ministry of Science. Has been for years."

"Maybe this was what they used _before _the Ministry of Science was built, then," Cora figured, shrugging. "Buildings with a structure like this aren't all that uncommon on the Surface."

Toby looked surprised. "The buildings on the Surface are like that?" he asked.

Cora shrugged. "Some of them," she said nonchalantly. "Some of the houses to. It's effectively protective and more…old school. Y'know?"

"Yeah…" Toby murmured. "I guess."

Cora cocked her head slowly, taking in the slightly curious look on Toby's face.

"You just think it's different because you're so used to all the modern, high-techy buildings," she said flatly, reading his wonder correctly.

Toby shook the glazed look off his face and shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose," he said. "I guess I just thought a 'secure military factory' would be more…modern."

"Well, whiz boy," Cora said, turning on her heel and beginning to march toward the faculty. "I think you'll find that sometimes old school is the new school."

Toby opened his mouth as if to respond, before closing it quickly and shaking his head is mystification. He would never understand girls. And with that thought, he hurried to catch up with Cora.

They approached the large metal door of the dome in a curve, in case there were cameras monitoring the entrance. Cora was worried that their also might be camera's dotting the exterior of the observatory and that they had already been spotted approaching, but no one had come rushing out at them yet. When she mentioned this precaution to Toby, he assured her that generally the Metro City military focus more on interior security than exterior. Most of the time, if people wanted to do something, they wanted to _take _something from the faculty, and that meant getting in. For the most part, people just didn't want to bomb the whole thing and destroy everything inside of it, because then they wouldn't get what they want and even then, he figured, with the 'old school' copper-plated dome, it would be hard to destroy.

She didn't completely follow his logic there but didn't argue as they slid around the side of the wall and approached the massive front doors, as well as the small panel by its side.

Toby immediately crouched down before it soundlessly and whipped out his holo-pad. He hooked it to the panel with a small, almost invisible cord, let it float by itself again in midair, and began to type on it furiously.

He smirked lightly as he worked.

"Remind me to thank Elefun for his genius later," he murmured. "Technology is great, but if there is one fatal flaw to the military, it's that is relies on it too much. If they had a live person monitoring the entrances of the employees it would be much harder to gain entrance. We'd have to probably steal an ID from a guard or employee and mimic there voice. Oh, and only sneak in when their off-duty so as not to tip of the security guard of the entrance. But with all this tech? The employees just scan everything. Fingerprints, eyes, IDs, you name it. And I can trick the computer into thinking we did all that no problem. Elefun's codes make that even easier than it would be."

He smirked as he typed in one more command, before unplugging his holo-pad and straightening.

The doors opened smoothly and without a sound before them.

Toby grinned. "Am I a genius, or am I a genius?" he gloated.

"Genius or no, we don't have time for basking in your glory," Cora said snidely, grabbing him by the collar. "C'mon."

Slowly, they entered the faculty, footfalls echoing as they moved on to solid, stone floors.

Behind them, the doors shut automatically and they fell into darkness.

Cora squeezed Toby's arm hard to make sure he hadn't been suddenly snatched away from her. "Lights?" she hissed as quietly as she could.

"Give me a mo," Toby whispered back, and after a moment, the light of his holo-pad reached her eyes.

The light of the pad covered a very small circumference, but it was enough for Cora to see they were standing in what looked like a warehouse interior. She'd scavenged a couple similar buildings before on the Surface. Big, wide, open and drafty rooms with lots of shelves and storing units. This place didn't look much better.

Toby was typing. "Hmmm," he murmured.

"What?" Cora asked.

"I'm receiving the faculty's info, now that I'm in their system," Toby informed her. "And from what I can tell, the faculty is not open, for lack of a better word. There is nobody working here right now. "

Cora felt her spirits lift. "You mean nobody's here?" she sputtered. "Just us?"

"I never said that," Toby said quickly. "The guards protecting the Core will still be on duty. It's a 24/7 post, you can't leave until your relieved. But if I'm reading this correctly, they're the _only _people that are here. No other employees or guards. Just the 24/7 guards watching over the unstable and high-security objects."

Cora let out her breath. "So, we've been granted pass through the faculty, no problem, until we actually get to the Core."

Toby nodded. "Pretty much."

"Well, I can live with that," Cora decided. She nodded to the holo-pad. "That can turn the lights on?"

"Give me approximately thirty-six seconds and I'll have all the lights on this floor turned on," Toby informed her proudly.

"And that won't alert the guards," Cora checked.

"The Core and the guards are in the sub-basement," Toby said surely. "That's a floor below. I'm only turning on the first floor lights for now. They won't notice any differences down there."

Cora frowned for a moment, taking this in, before nodding. "All right, turn them on," she ordered.

Toby smiled and quickly began to type on the holo-pad.

Cora counted silently in her head.

Thirty-six seconds after she began counting, the room was suddenly flooded with light.

Cora blinked rapidly as the onslaught of harsh lighting attacked her retinas, before her eyes adjusted and the warehouse-like room came into sharp focus.

Next to her, Toby smugly enlarged the screen of his holo-pad, which displayed a map of the faculty. "Thirty-six seconds on the dot," he said cheekily. "Am I good or am I good?"

"This place is big, but I'm not sure if it's big enough for your oversized ego," Cora murmured.

Toby snorted. "You just don't want to succumb to how awesome I am," he commented smartly, before looking up from the pad and observing the room. A small frown crept into his features.

"Bit…ominous, don't you think?" he asked.

Cora frowned and followed his gaze, taking in the now-visible interior of the room.

Long, circular shelves covered practically every wall of space, metal drawers and boxes locked with both old fashioned and modern locks covering all the available area. The floor of the warehouse room was stone and cold, and the ceiling was made of thick metal—copper, Cora remembered Toby had said-with crisscrossing buttresses to fit the dome shape of the roof. The hole for the telescope was the only other feature.

The whole place felt drafty and empty, but at the same time very full and creepy. Everything was either a shade of black, gray, brown, or rust and the lack of color made everything feel that much more drab and foreboding.

Cora felt a shiver run up her spine.

"Let's get going," she said purposefully, beginning to stride through the center of the room, hoping dearly that Toby would follow without compliant. She didn't want to admit it, but this place was giving her the creeps and all she wanted to do was get the Core and get out of here as soon as possible.

To her relief, Toby followed her automatically, staring at the map on his holo-pad screen.

"There should be a door and the other end of the room to the right," he instructed. "There should be a staircase leading down to the basement from there and then we should be able to get to the sub-basement."

Cora scanned the back wall until she found the door, tucked away in the gap between two gray shelves, all filled to the max with more creepy locked metal boxes.

"Great, found it," she said, covering the last length of the room with long strides and grabbing the door handle. "Let's get out of he—"

She cut off as she yanked hard at the door, expecting it to open.

It didn't budge.

"You've got to be kidding me," she grumbled, pulling away.

Behind her, Toby snorted.

"You didn't really think it wouldn't be locked, would you?" he asked. Cora knew if she turned around he'd be smirking. "'Sides, that's an old door. Only old doors had door handles and locks like that. I bet they probably have an ID scan somewhere I can hack."

He moved purposely past her at this and began to run his hands up and down the door, trying to find the panel.

To his surprise, he didn't find one.

He turned back to Cora, face displaying a look of shock.

"There's no panel!" he squeaked, completely baffled.

Cora rolled her eyes. "Remember what I said earlier, genius?" she said, giving him a look. "Old school is sometimes the new school. Obviously, these military creeps aren't as dumb as they look and understand that. Move over."

She brushed past Toby rudely and bent down in front of the door handle.

She studied the lock for a long moment, squinting and judging its size, before reaching into her hair and pulling out two bobbing pins. She quickly bent them a bit so they were straight before sticking them both purposely in the keyhole.

She wiggled them around for a moment before she heard a click.

A grin spread across her face and she turned the door handle dramatically.

The door swung open, revealing a stone staircase leading down.

A smug smile adorning her features, Cora took a small bow, gesturing for Toby to descend the steps first. "Mr. Genius," she said sarcastically.

"Ha ha, very funny," Toby murmured, looking sour, clutching his holo-pad under his arm protectively as he moved past Cora and began to go down the steps.

Cora followed, making sure to keep the door slightly ajar so they wouldn't be locked in from the other side—just in case. The staircase was dark, but there was enough light coming from the floor above for her to see her way. Good thing too, because the steps were steep.

Who builds a place like this? Some wacko without a hobby?

After a minute or so, she touched down on the landing, grateful to be off the steps.

Toby was waiting for her, pressed against the wall next to the landing and observing the round room before them.

Cora slid up next to him without a sound and did the same.

It was very similar to the floor above. The same shape, obviously, since it was part of the same structure and had the same circular base. But yet it was different. This floor had lights of its own already on, though not the fluorescent white light of the floor above. The lights here were dim and red, covering everything with a creepy red glow and giving the walls a blood-stained type look.

If the first floor was unnerving, this one was just plain creepy.

"Right," Cora breathed. Why she was whispering, she had no idea, but it just seemed…appropriate. Like if she talked normally some sort of monster would jump out and eat them. Her heartbeat had increased to rapid pace. She felt like she was in some sort of horror film. "Where's the door to the sub-basement?"

"I don't know…" Toby murmured softly, staring at his holo-pad with a frown.

Cora blinked. "You don't _know_?" she hissed.

"It's not on the map!" Toby whispered irritably. "Give me a moment."

Cora sighed and leaned up against the wall with her arms crossed, trying to keep a handle on her nerves while Toby typed. She stared at her shoes to avoid looking at the dimly-lit room, but ended up looking at it anyway.

She instantly regretted it. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the room was filled with what looked like medical tables, each with its surface dotted with medical scalpels and what Cora could only think would be dissection equipment.

If the room hadn't felt like something out of a horror film before, it certainly did now.

A small grunt of, "Got it," from Toby sent a wash of relief through her as she tore her eyes away from the ominous tables to look at him.

"Where?" she asked.

"Center of the room," Toby answered.

Cora blinked, thinking she heard him wrong. "Say what?"

Toby looked up from his holo-pad with a slightly unnerved look on his face. His eyes shiftily glanced at the red-lit room before going back to Cora. "Center of the room," he repeated. "It's a trapdoor."

Cora felt her blood turn to ice. A trapdoor.

Instantly, her mind flashed back to a scary movie that she and Zane had found in a junk heap once. They'd brought it back to the orphanage and had gotten it to work in an old DVD-player that Hamegg had scavenged and fixed up. All the kids had gathered to watch it, excited to see some action.

Cora had expected it to be lame. She didn't see how anything filmed in a studio could possibly be as scary as some of the things she had experienced in real life.

She was wrong. She hated to admit it and managed to keep her cool, but the movie had quite frankly scared her out of her wits. Her hands were clammy throughout the entire film and she was all shaky. At some points, it took all her willpower not to throw the thin blanket she had wrestled away from Zane over her head so she wouldn't have to watch anymore.

She didn't because she didn't want anyone to know she was scared, but there was one—and only one—part of the movie that she did give in. The part that she closed her eyes and barely stifled the whimper.

The lead girl—not the dumb-blonde, mind you, she died long ago-no, the _brave _girl, the smart and sensible girl, was walking slowly through a dimly-lit room. She had short dark hair, much like Cora's, and was holding a lit torch in her hands. Halfway through the room, though, it mysteriously went out and she had to rely only on the rooms lighting. She searched the room, but could find no exit, and the door she entered through was locked and wouldn't budge.

However, the girl kept her cool and kept searching. She knew there had to be some way out. After a while, she found a trapdoor.

A smile had spread across her grimy face and she had bent to try and open it. To her delight, it was unlocked, and she pulled at it.

"DON'T OPEN IT!" all the kids in the orphanage had screamed in unison and before the girl could completely open the trap door, Cora closed her eyes. Tight.

The girl's screams rang in her dreams that night.

That very same scream came rushing back to her at the moment as she spotted the trapdoor nestled under the center table. She felt chills run up her frame as she realized that it looked exactly like the one in the horror movie.

"Well," Toby murmured, tucking away his holo-pad. He let out a sigh. "Let's get this over with."

"Yeah…right," Cora said, her voice coming out weak and shaky, much to her hatred. She hated sounding weak and hoped Toby hadn't picked up on her unease.

If he did, he didn't voice it.

"Right," he whispered, taking a step forward. His voice wavered a tiny bit and Cora realized with a jolt he was just as scared as she was. Little boy genius was scared? "Follow me."

He scurried off in the direction of the trapdoor and Cora followed swiftly after him, anxious to get out of this creepy room. She avoided looking at the rest of the rooms' interior as they ran.

They reached the trapdoor and kneeled down next to it, observing it.

Cora felt her hands go clammy as she inspected it. It really did look just like the one from the horror film. The similarities were uncanny. But she wasn't about to mention this to Toby and admit how scared she was so she said nothing.

Toby too was studying it with unease.

"I have a bad feeling that opening this will either set off a bazillion alarms or something is going to eat us," he whispered.

"Bad feeling mutual," Cora agreed. "But we need to keep moving. We need that Core. Open it."

Toby bit his lip, but nodded bravely.

He hesitated a moment longer, before yanking the trapdoor open.

They both tensed, waiting for something to jump out or for the whole room to start blinking and beeping with tripped alarms.

But nothing happened.

They both let out a relieved breath. "Okay," Toby whispered. "I'll go down first, you follow. _Don't _close the door behind you. We don't know if it can be opened from the other side without a key or something and I don't want to take that chance. And keep your voice down. The guards are on the same floor as us now."

Cora nodded to show her understanding and Toby pursed his lips before lowering himself down slowly into the dark hole below them. Cora couldn't see if there were stairs, so she waited as Toby tested to see.

"Ladder," Toby whispered after a moment, his legs no longer visible in the darkness. "Seems fairly steady. Follow me. Slowly."

Cora nodded again and Toby continued downward carefully until he disappeared completely into the darkness.

Cora then lowered herself gingerly down into the hole and followed, keeping her feet firmly on the ladders invisible rungs. Her hands were sweaty as she slid herself down.

She reached the bottom and blinked several times, her eyes trying to pick up light, but failing. There was none. She was encased in total darkness. Blind.

"Toby?" she hissed, her voice barely audible from fear that the guards would hear. She had no idea how close they could be.

In response, she felt a warm hand touch her arm. She jumped at first, but then relaxed as Toby whispered, "Here," just loud enough for her to hear him and for her to know it was only him. He grasped her wrist and didn't let go.

"No light," he hissed in her ear, his face close enough to hers that she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. "Too risky to turn on my holo-pad. The guards will have light. We just need to keep moving. Feel the wall."

"Okay," Cora whispered back so he knew she heard him, and then before she could really collect herself, Toby began to move in the direction he must have thought was forward, gently dragging her along.

After a moment, Cora felt a solid wall by her right shoulder and she hugged her body close to it, using the solid object to direct her through the darkness, as well as Toby's forward pull. It was creepy and Cora was more than a little on edge, but Toby's presence comforted her. She wasn't really sure when she trusted Astro's counterpart enough to feel comforted by him, but at that point and time, she really didn't care.

Soon, her eyes detected a bit of light up ahead and her heart leaped with relief. She wasn't necessarily afraid of the dark but that didn't mean she liked it.

Toby must've stopped, because Cora bumped into him lightly as the dim bit of light ahead became bigger.

"Guards, I think," his voice met her ears softly; quiet enough that no one else could hear them. "Around the corner. Stay here. I'll take a look, then come straight back."

Cora frowned, not incredibly content with the 'stay here' order, as she was more of an act now, think later type of gal. But she understood Toby's reasoning and knew that this was quite a bit different than them barging in on Hamegg. This was the military they were dealing with. Highly trained professionals.

Plus, Astro's _life _was at stake here. They couldn't afford to screw it up by acting rashly.

"Okay," she whispered, letting Toby in on her agreement with his plans, and she felt Toby squeeze her wrist in a somewhat reassuring way before he let go. Cora watched with squinty eyes as his fuzzy silhouette made its way cautiously in the direction of the light.

She pressed herself against the wall as she waited, inching back a bit, further into the darkness, just in case Toby was made. That way, she'd either be able to get out if there was danger or hide and wait for the guards to be distracted or leave so she could get the Core herself, no matter the costs. She wasn't planning on sacrificing Toby—far from it—and she didn't want to leave without him if she didn't have to. But if he was caught, then everything was up to her, and she'd do what she needed to do to get the Core and get out of there with it.

Or at least, so she told herself.

To her relief, after a few minutes, Toby's silhouette slowly began to return, until he was close enough to her that she could hear his breathing. After a moment, she felt his hand gently touch her arm and travel politely until it found her wrist again. He grasped it lightly.

Cora wasn't entirely sure if he was doing that for his benefit or hers.

"Three guards," he breathed in her ear, so quiet that Cora could barely hear him, despite him being so close to her. "All three really heavily armed. Majorly big guns. Definitely not set on stun. Couldn't tell the models without getting too close, but they are _not _your everyday, handheld stun guns. Core is in a small egg-shaped chamber, surrounded by the energy field in the middle of the room. Guards are surrounding it at a safe distance. They're standing on a painted yellow circle, so I'm guessing we can't go passed that line while the energy field is still active without being in danger of being zapped. We need to take out the guards first and foremost, and then find a way to shut down the field."

"Sounds like a plan," Cora whispered, sounding confident despite how freaked out she felt inside. This was nothing like anything she had done before. Robbing the military was a big step up from robbing spare robot parts from rival Surfacers. "How're we gonna take down the guards?"

"Good question," Toby whispered, sounding a tad nervous. "I don't know. I was kinda hoping there'd be some way I could shut down the P2 voltage from the outside and turn the lights off, throwing them into darkness and confusion. Then one of us keep them busy while the other gets the Core. But I don't see how I can turn off the field unless I get one of their IDs and find the power circuit, which from what I can tell is on the far side of the room and this is the only entrance. The other end is just a wall."

Cora let out a long breath, taking this in. "Okay," she whispered. "I'll distract them. You turn the voltage off and get the Core."

"I can turn off the voltage on my own, but I'll need an ID to open the containment pod," Toby informed flatly.

"Do you know where their IDs are?" Cora asked.

"No," Toby sighed forlornly. "I couldn't see them. They must be kept somewhere within their uniforms."

Cora exhaled thoughtfully. This wasn't going to be easy. "I'll get you an ID," she promised. "You just get to the panel." A plan was now forming itself in her mind. It was incredibly risky and quite a lot could go wrong, but no matter what they did there would be risks.

And this was for Astro.

Toby was silent for a moment, obviously thinking over the plan Cora was partially describing. "Once I run through, they'll know I'm there and try to stop me," he noted. "It'll be up to you to keep them at bay while I shut off the field and get the Core."

"I can do that," Cora said surely, although inside, she was far from sure. "I've got a plan."

She waited for Toby to ask what that 'plan' was—since it was a sketchy plan, at most—but to her surprise, he didn't.

"Okay," he said, sounding completely confident in her. "I trust you. You're plenty violent enough to handle these jerks."

Cora could hear the smile in his voice at the end of his sentence and couldn't help but smile a bit too, although he couldn't see her.

She wasn't sure when she started to trusting him or when he started trusting her, but that trust was all they had at the moment.

"So," she whispered. "On the count of three?"

"On the count of three," Toby agreed.

"One."

"Two."

"THREE!"

At three, both Cora and Toby began to run as fast as they would allow themselves to into the darkness, making a break for the light up ahead. As they neared, Cora pulled ahead of Toby, who slowed down to let her pass.

She stopped at the corner and pressed herself against the wall, holding her breath to keep herself from panting as Toby came up behind her, copying her movements.

"Ready when you are," he mouthed.

Cora nodded, before turning to look straight ahead, the soft light from the room beyond drifting around the corner. She narrowed her eyes in determination and took a big breath.

Then she charged around the corner and into the room, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"AIEEEEEEEEEEEE!" she screeched, as loud and as shrilly as her slightly-parched throat would let her—she hadn't really had anything to drink for a while. "HELP! PLEASE, SOMEONE HELP ME!"

Three startled guards responded to her sudden appearance and yells in three starkly different ways. At first, all three turned to look at her in complete surprise, obviously taken completely off guard at the sudden appearance of another human being down in the sub-basement of a supposedly-secure military factory where they were the only ones on duty.

It also took them a minute, apparently, for them to comprehend that said human being was a teenage girl in hysterics.

All three of them then took up different stances; only one of them that Cora figured was protocol. The first guard lifted his gun and pointed it at her, yelling "FREEZE!" at the same time the second guard exclaimed, "Who are you and how did you get down here?" and at the same time the third guard rushed to her side, hefting his gun protectively and asking her, "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Who's chasing you? Who's here?"

It was chaos.

And Cora _loved _it.

"Please!" she wailed, clutching the third guard's sleeve in a death grip and sobbing uncontrollably. "Please, you've got to help me! H-he's trying to kill me! H-h-he wants me dead! I-it wasn't my fault! I _swear _it wasn't my fault!"

"Okay, okay," Guard #3 breathed, trying to calm her down. "Just calm down. We'll help you."

Cora looked up at him with tearful eyes. "You will?" she whispered, putting as much disbelief and pain as possible into her voice.

"Of course," Guard #3 assured her. "Won't we, guys?"

He looked back at his two comrades, who were watching both her and the entrance to the containment area uncertainly, their guns still locked and loaded.

"Sure," Guard #2 said, and Guard #1 nodded, although he still looked suspicious.

Cora pretended not to even register this though, instead focusing her eyes on their guns. "Oh," she whispered. "Oh, please don't. Please don't!"

"Please don't what?" Guard #3 asked, looking worried as Cora stumbled a bit and tightened her grip on his sleeve. "We won't hurt you."

"P-p-please don't s-shoot m-me," Cora sobbed. "Please! I s-swear i-it wasn't m-me. H-he just w-wants m-me dead! D-don't shoot!"

"Hey, hey, hey," Guard #3 shushed her, holding her upright a bit and attempting to comfort her. "We won't shoot you. We want to help. Guys, put your guns down."

"I don't think that's a very –"

"Just do it!" Guard #3 growled, and the two guards reluctantly put down their guns.

Guard #3 did the same.

"See?" he said. "We just want to help."

Cora looked up at him with tear-stained cheeks. "You really want to help me?" she whispered.

"Yes," Guard #3 said truthfully. "Yes, we do."

In a split second, Cora's expression turned from that of a hysterical girl to that of a malicious thief. "Perfect," she grinned, relishing the look of surprise on the guard's face before swooping down and grabbing the guard's gun. Before he could move, she was back up and pointing it at his face.

"Glad you're so willing to cooperate," she said, backing up a few steps so that she had all three guards in front of her and was successfully blocking them from the Core.

Perfect.

With impeccable timing, Toby chose that exact moment to bolt around the corner, making a beeline for the control panel and sidestepping the confused guards with ease and speed.

"HEY!" one startled guard yelled as he spotted him, bending down and retrieving his gun to prevent him from reaching the Core, but before he could Cora promptly grabbed his gun by the barrel and hit him over the head with it. The guard looked dazed for a moment before collapsing to the ground in a heap.

"How long will you take?" Cora yelled over her shoulder at Toby, who had reached his goal and was bent down in front of it, connecting his holo-pad to the panel. He was already typing furiously.

"Give me five minutes and thirty-five seconds!" he yelled back.

"Can do!" Cora shouted, the end of her phrase elapsing into a grunt as she scooped up the fallen guards' gun as well and hefted it onto her shoulder, the original one in her left hand. She then kicked the third gun out of range and pointed the other two at the two remaining guards, who were slowly regaining their bearings and assessing their unlikely situation.

"Now, now," Guard #3—the reasonable one, it seemed—said slowly. He moved his hands in a calm motion that singled her to put the guns down. "Let's not get rash. Put those down slowly, please."

"No can do," Cora answered, smirking and still congratulating herself on a job well done. Although this situation was entirely new to her, she felt oddly in control and relaxed. She could easily keep this up for another five minutes while Toby worked—and with the safety clicked on on the guns there would hopefully be no unwanted shots.

Guard #1 eyed her scrutinizing, obviously studying her carefully. "Who are you?" he asked harshly, his tone not near as polite as Guard #3's. It was obvious he wasn't much for negotiations.

"None of your beeswax," Cora responded smartly. She had the upper-hand, and she wasn't going to let these government agents get any info out of her. Sure, they knew what she looked like and she'd be screwed later. But now? Now, all she cared about was getting the Core and getting Astro back. She could handle everything after that just fine.

Or so she told herself, anyway.

Guard #1's eyes narrowed and he attempted to take a step closer to her, eyes flickering to where Toby was working, but at his movement, Cora took a step closer to him, aiming the gun evenly between the man's eyes with the view finder.

"Bad idea, mister," she said.

Guard #1's lips pursed and a bit of unwanted fear did flash in his eyes, but he quickly hid it. Bravely, he held his ground. "You're not actually going to shoot me," he said, his voice sounding strong and sure.

"This gun says otherwise," Cora said evenly, not rising to the bait.

"The safety on it does," Guard #1 said, nodding to the safety on the blaster, which Cora had thoughtfully put on to avoid mishaps.

Crap. This guard was smarter and more observant than he appeared. He was calling her bluff!

Eyes narrowing dangerously, Cora quickly clicked off the safety. "How about now?" she hissed, eyes flashing menacingly.

She was getting too good at this whole acting thing.

Now the guard looked hesitant and he took a step back worriedly. "I still don't think you're going to shoot us," he said defiantly. "You're just a little girl."

"And who says this 'little girl' can't shoot a gun?" Cora asked angrily, face flushing at the term. She _hated _being called a little girl. _Hated _it! She was just as good as any boy, and she was _not _little!

The guard seemed to realize he had hit a nerve because he backed up another step and put his arms halfway up in surrender. "I still don't think you're going to do it," he said, though he didn't sound quite so sure of that fact anymore. Cora was practically seething in rage by now, and he didn't seem too sure that this 'little girl' was incapable of shooting someone.

"Nice going, Ted, you made her mad!" Guard #3 hissed. "She's holding two military-grade guns to our faces and you provoked her!"

"Shuddup, Eddie!" Ted hissed back. "You didn't help any either."

"I was doing just fine until you butted in," Eddie grumbled, eyes shifting back to Cora worriedly.

"Neither of you are doing fine at the moment," Cora said dryly, rolling her eyes. Who knew military agents were such drama queens?

"How much longer genius?" she called over shoulder.

"Give me another moment…" Toby's voice responded, drawing out the last word before letting out a triumphant 'Yes!'

Before Cora could ask if he'd succeeded, the undeniable sound of the energy field powering down with a soft hiss filled the room, followed by a weird feeling washing over her as the pressure in the room decreased.

A smile grew on her face at the sound and grew at the horrified looks on the guards faces.

"The Blue Core," Guard #3—Eddie-breathed. "_That's _what you're here for."

"'Course it is," Cora said. "What, did you think we came all the way down here to socialize? Now, if you know what's good for you, you'll hand over your ID."

Eddie looked bemused. "My ID?"

"To open the container, duh," Cora said, rolling her eyes. Geez, these guys were morons!

Eddie looked hesitant and Guard #1, Ted, was giving him a look that clearly said 'Don't-You-Dare-Give-The-Physco-Girl-Your-ID' but after receiving a well-practiced glare from Cora, he quickly unclipped his ID from his belt and slid it over.

Cora stopped it with her shoe and slowly bent to pick it up, careful to keep the guns pointed at the guards. She then carefully balanced the ID precariously between her chin and shoulder. Her hands were a tad occupied. "Come and get it, whiz boy," she called, keeping her eyes focused squarely on Ted and Eddie.

She heard footsteps and felt Toby take the ID from her.

"Thanks," he said in her ear. "Hold the guns up for just a bit longer and we're out of here, okay?"

"'K," Cora said, eyes narrowing at the reference to the guns. She then noticed her arms were shaking slightly under the weight of the two massive firearms.

Crap. She wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to hold them.

Ted and Eddie must have noticed it too, because she saw Ted's eyes lit up with opportunity, and he braved a small step forward.

Uh-oh.

_Hurry up, Toby. Hurry up, Toby. HURRY UP, TOBY!_

Ted smiled a bit and took another step forward. "Put the guns down," he order her strongly, eyes stony. "You can't have the Core."

"Why do you say that?" Cora asked, keeping her facial expressions defiant and almost angry, careful to not let any of her inner fatigue or fear seep through.

Ted's smile widened lightly. "You should have done your homework," he said, taking another step toward her so that the space between them was a little too small for Cora's taste. "Our IDs can't open the Core's containment chamber. We're just here to protect it; we have no need to have clearance to open it. You'd need the President's ID to do that, and you don't have that, do you?"

Cora felt her heart skip a beat and an ice-cold rush of horror washed over her, the guard's words hitting her as if in slow motion, as well as the distinctive cry of frustration from Toby as the ID no doubt failed to open the Core's containment chamber. The guard wasn't bluffing.

_ We are so screwed._

"Toby…" she breathed.

"It won't work!" Came her partner's upset cry from behind her. "The ID won't let me unlock to Core! The containment chamber says it doesn't have clearance."

"That's because it doesn't, little boy," Ted said, taking the last step between Cora and him at a leap and ripping one of the guns out of her hands before she could react, causing her to stumble a few steps back, almost tripping over the guard she had rendered unconscious. She recovered and quickly put two hands on the first gun. She immediately went into a defense position and aimed it at Ted, but the guard aimed his squarely back at her.

"Now," he said icily. "Let's reassess things, shall we? You can't have the Core, you don't have the clearance. You can't leave, I won't let you. You can aim that gun at me, but I'll just as soon shoot you as you'll shoot me. Unlike you, I have clearance to shoot to kill when an attack is made on military property, whether that attack is by children or not. You, on the other hand, do not, and child or no, you'd have to answer for the murder of a military official, and I'm not sure you'd like to deal with that." He smiled cruelly at Cora.

"So, I'll say it again," he said. "Put. The. Gun. _Down."_

Cora's lip trembled slightly, but she held her ground. Every instinct told her to put the gun down and surrender. It was the logical thing to do. They were obviously beat. But something prevented her. That little nagging voice in the back of her mind that reminded her why she had set out to do this in the first place.

The Core was the only thing that could bring Astro back. The _only _thing. After this, nothing would be able to save him.

Surrender was not an option.

"Toby," she said, keeping her voice even and her eyes locked with Ted's stony green ones, keeping the gun aimed at him steadily.

"Yeah?" Toby responded, sounding very unsure as of what to do.

"I have a question for you."

"What's that?"

"How much do you know about the Core?"

There was a slight pause as Toby assessed the question, before, "A fair amount. I saw a lot of the research while it was in pre-production."

Cora smiled lightly, eyes twinkling as a plan formed in her head. "Can you tell me then," she said slowly. "if the Core, in its containment chamber, would be able to survive a full blast from a Meta-blaster head on?"

She saw Ted's eyes widen at her words, as well Eddie's behind him, looking twice as horrified at the implications Cora has just brought forth.

"You wouldn't _dare,_" Ted hissed.

She heard Toby exhale loudly behind her as he too realized her plan.

"I couldn't say… For me, zero percent, though," he answered slowly. She heard him scurry out of the way a bit so that he was closer to her and at the other end of the sub-basement than the containment chamber. "But I'd give it the odds of seventy-five percent of survival."

"Good enough!" Cora exclaimed, and with that, she swiveled around and hit the deck, pulling Toby down with her as a blast from Ted's gun flew over their heads. Grunting, she took aim, matching the crosshairs in the view finder squarely with the silvery, egg-shaped containment pod. Gritting her teeth, she pulled the trigger and shot it head on.

There was a large explosion followed by a flash of blue and green light and Cora pressed herself to the ground, holding on to Toby's sleeve for dear life. She closed her eyes to protect them from the blinding light and heard debris falling dangerously all around them. It was not a happy sound.

Finally, though, the light disappeared and Cora heard no more signs of destruction.

She opened her eyes carefully and glanced at Toby.

His brown eyes met hers and he smiled weakly, before hopping to his feet in a crouch. Cora followed suit and scanned the demolished sub-basement carefully.

To her relief, she found all three of the military guards to be alive and okay. Ted was pinned under a piece of the containment pod that had incased itself around him like a dome, leaving just his torso hanging out of a small hole that had been blown in it, just big enough that he could probably crawl through—when he regained consciousness, that was. The other two also appeared to be unconscious, their armored bodies strewn across the debris, but Cora could still make out the steady rise and fall of their chests as they breathed.

She heaved a small sigh of relief. At least she hadn't killed anyone.

"They're all okay," she reported aloud.

"I'm thrilled," Toby grunting sarcastically, dusting himself off grudgingly. "Where's the Core?"

Cora's heart jumped at the mention of their prize and she scanned the room a bit more ferociously, trying to locate the glowing blue orb.

She felt her heart plummet when she saw no signs.

"I don't see it!" she cried, going from calm to frantic in a span of a millisecond, glancing around wildly for some – any – sign of Astro's one and only chance. "Where is it?"

"You're asking me?" Toby said, giving her a look, dust from the debris falling out of his messed-up spikes. "You're the one who shot it!"

"Oh, admit it, you didn't have any better ideas," Cora growled, a small surge of annoyance coursing through her for a second before the fear for Astro reappeared. "We have to find the Core!"

"It _is _entirely possible that you destroyed it," Toby told her softly, calming down a bit too and wading through the debris in an effort to help her search. "Seventy-five percent chance of survival, I said. That's a twenty-five percent chance of demolition."

"I can't have destroyed it," Cora argued desperately, beginning to dig through the debris frantically. "It has to be okay. It _has _to be! Astro is depending on it!"

She heard Toby sigh and the sound of crunching metal followed shortly after. She turned to see that he had flopped down on a small pile of remains, looking forlorn.

"It's no use, Cora," he sighed. "We blew out most of the lighting down here when you shot the containment pod. If the Core was intact, we'd be able to see its glow. Plus, the explosion no doubt set off whatever alarms this place has. The military and government will be swarming this place in less than twenty minutes. We don't have time to search, unless you want to get arrested."

Cora felt her heart take root in the pit of her stomach as she realized he was right.

"No," she moaned. "We came so close. It's here. It's here _somewhere. _We can't give up now!"

"Cora…" Toby sighed, sounding tired but also sad, like he understood exactly what she was feeling right now and had wanted to succeed just as much as she had. "We have to go."

"NO!" Cora screeched, picking up a small, warped piece of the containment pod and chucking it at the wall in anger. She heard the metal crunch and break apart on impact, but she didn't even spare it a glance to see how she had damaged it. "NO! I won't give it up! You can leave, but I'm staying! They can arrest me if they want but I won't – I will _never _give up because…b-because…"

Tears were starting to form and she angrily tried to wipe them away.

"Cora…" Toby whispered.

"No!" Cora shouted again, the tears filling her vision and making everything blurry. "You can say whatever you want but it won't change anything! Astro is dead and the only thing on the entire planet that can bring him back is here in this room and I won't stop searching and I won't stop fighting until it is back where it belongs – in Astro!"

"Cora."

"It's just like you said before. You were right. This is what Astro would do for me. He would find a way to save me. He's do whatever it takes and he would never, ever give up, even if it meant his own death! I know that now. And so I'll do whatever it takes too. _Whatever_ it takes."

"Cora!"

"Stop trying to stop me! You can't make me leave! I'll keep searching until I'll die, I'll – I'll –"

"CORA!" Toby shouted, his voice filled with such sudden unexpected anger and frustration that Cora was thrown off guard.

She turned with tear-streaked cheeks, glaring at him with watery blue eyes.

"What," she deadpanned, her voice now a dead, lifeless monotone. Hopeless. "What, Toby? What're you going to do? I'm not leaving. You can't force me to."

Toby didn't answer. Instead, he leveled her with a fierce glare, his brown eyes stony. He held it for a long moment, intensifying it for a prolonged second, before a small smirk began to grow on his face.

Cora's eyes narrowed and her fists clenched at this unexpected sign of glee, anger beginning to burn within her. What was _wrong _with him? _Smirking_ at a time like this? What kind of sick little kid _was _he, smiling when Astro now had a zero percent chance of returning?

Maybe she was wrong about him. Maybe he wasn't so much like Astro after all.

"What's so funny?" she screamed at him, eyes blazing.

"Close your eyes, Cora," he whispered.

Cora blinked. "What?"

"Close your eyes," Toby said again.

"Why would I do that?" Cora scoffed, bemused and still fuming.

Toby's eyes sparkled again, matching his widening smile. "Trust me," he said, grinning.

Cora stared at him for a long moment, searching his eyes for some reason behind his behavior...but found only pain. Pain from how identical Toby's eyes were to Astro's. Pain that she felt would never leave her.

She closed her eyes. The mental picture of Toby's – and Astro's – eyes remaining emblazed in her minds eyes even after she blocked them from her sight.

"Now turn to your left about forty-five degrees," Toby's commanded gently.

"Toby, what is – "

"Just do it, Cora. Trust me."

Cora bit her lip, but did as he said.

"Now," Toby said softly. "What do you see?"

Cora frowned, her brow furrowing. "See?" she repeated. "My eyes are closed! I can't see anything!"

"Yes, you can," Toby answered confidently. "There is always one thing you can see through your eyelids."

"What?"

"You know."

"No, I don't, Toby! And don't know what you're playing at, but the security backup with probably be here soon and you need to get out of here and I.. I n-need to keep searching and – "

"Cora."

"What?"

"Think back to your bedroom."

"What?!"

"Do it. Imagine you're lying in bed, with your eyes closed, and you're supposed to be doing your homework but you're dozing instead. You have your lights on so your mom _thinks _you're studying when you're really not. But you can't fall asleep. Why?"

"I don't know!"

"Yes, you do. Think. Try."

Cora bit her lip in anger, but resisted the urge to open her eyes and punch Toby in the face. Instead, she closed her eyes tighter and pictured the scene that Toby had painted for her. She imagined herself lying in her bed, trying to sleep, but being unable to because…because of…

Because of the light from her lamp. Because of the light she was using to prevent her mom for yelling at her again. The light was filtering through her eyelids…its yellow glow keeping her up…

Except the light wasn't yellow, was it? No, it was…blue. A pale but bright blue that she couldn't possibly ignore. How was she supposed to sleep with that much light? It was too much, why had her mom bought her a lamp with blue lighting anywa –

Wait a minute.

Her light wasn't blue.

With a gasp, Cora open her eyes in a flash, tearing apart every detail of the mound of rubble she was facing, searching for the source of the blue light she'd seen through her eyelids.

There. There! There it was, hidden underneath one of the fallen blaster guns, glowing – faintly, barely detectably, but definitely glowing – with life.

With her breath caught dead in her throat, Cora moved forward as if in slow motion, her every step seemingly detached from her body. She reached the gun and exhaled, scarcely realizing she had not been breathing.

Slowly, carefully, she bent down and picked up the blaster.

There, nestled among the debris, glowing bright blue and completely undamaged, was the Blue Core.

Tears ran down her cheeks once again, but this time, it was not from pain.

It was from joy.

They did. They got it!

With a choked sound, Cora dropped the blaster and scooped up the Core with her hands, savoring the beautiful, warm and happy feel that it brought her upon contact with her skin. She held it for a prolonged moment before standing and turning around quickly, smiling wider than she had in what felt like a long while.

Toby stood a couple feet in front of her, arms crossed and a smile that mirrored her own on his round face. His brown eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Light," he said. "We see light through our eyelids."

"Yeah," Cora laughed. "Yeah, we do! Omigosh, Toby, we did it!"

And suddenly she was hugging him and both crying and laughing into his shoulder at the same time. For a moment, everything was perfect.

And then things became incredibly awkward.

Slowly, Cora detached herself from him and backed up awkwardly, fingering the end of one of her highlights.

Toby stared at her for a long moment, before coughing and running a hand through his hair.

"So," he said. "We better be off."

"Yeah," Cora agreed. "We…yeah."

"Run for it?" Toby suggested questionably.

"Yep," Cora agreed. "Time to get out of here." She glanced down at the Core and smiled a bit. "And get Astro back."

"Couldn't agree more," Toby said. He gestured to the door. "Ladies first," he said cheekily.

Cora gave him a quick eye roll before taking off in a sprint out the entrance to the chamber, now their exit. She slowed long enough to make sure Toby was following before speeding up, her grin widening as her spirit and body was energized by the Core in her hand.

It was time to get back to Hamegg's.

And it was time to get her Astro back.


	16. A Real Robot

**(A/N: Hey everybody! I'm back! Yay! And with a new chapter, because you guys all love me, right? Anyway, thank you to all my lovely reviewers, favoriters, followers and readers! You're all so wonderful I could never thank you all enough for giving me such tremendous feedback on this! I never expected such a positive response! Thanks again!**

**Enjoy!)**

**The President Building**

President Logan sat at his desk in his office, working tiredly on tedious presidential work on his holo-computer. If it was one thing he disliked about being president, it was the paperwork, and former-President Stone had left him with bucket loads. Some days, Logan was half tempted to walk over to Stone's military containment cell and dump it all on him and have him do it.

But that wouldn't do. He was the president of Metro City now. A respected, smart and _not _psychopathic president. He had to take the work that came with it.

The loud ringing of his desk holo-phone interrupted the president's working, and Logan gratefully took it as an opportunity to get away from his less-than-exciting city work and answered it. He pressed the button on the comm.

"Logan speaking," he said formally, fixing his glasses.

"Sir," the voice came on the other line, a hologram popping up of a familiar face. General Kisler. "We have a bit of a situation, sir."

Logan sat up upright in his chair, a look of worry coming over his face. "What is it, General?"

"It's Stone, sir," the General informed him gravely. "He's gone."

Logan almost fell out of his chair. "What?"

"Stone," Kisler repeated. "He's escaped. I don't know what happened exactly, but I have three guards down, all tasered. Somehow, he got a hold of a microsonic energy Taser and took them out. Former general Heckler is also gone."

Logan paled and sat back faintly, staring out into nothing for a long moment, his mouth hanging open with unspoken words.

"Sir?" the General asked. "Are you all right?"

The newly-elected president shook himself out of his shock quickly. "Fine," he responded weakly. "Have your men out and looking for him. I want every military employee out and searching until Stone and Heckler are brought back in, and I want no press leakage. Have you notified anyone else besides me?"

"No, sir," Kisler informed.

"Good," Logan sighed in slight relief. "Notify Tenma and Elefun at the Ministry then, but no one else. Tell them I want all there tested prototype weapons given to the military until Stone is found."

"Right away, sir."

"Okay," Logan sighed, closing his eyes thinking. "All right. Thank you, General, for notifying me. I trust you to do what you need to do to keep this city safe."

"Of course, sir, but Stone's not the only problem."

Logan's eyes flew open again. "What?" he exclaimed.

"The Blue Core, sir," Kisler reported. "It's gone missing. We received breach alarms early this morning and arrived to find the whole sub-basement in ruins. The guards were unconscious and the Core was gone."

Logan felt his breath leave him.

"Stone?" he queried.

"We think," the General confirmed. "But we don't know for sure. The guards are still unconscious, but from what we can tell the Core was stolen not long after Stone and Heckler escaped custody."

Logan bites his lip in worry, his knuckles white as he gripped his chair. "The robot," he said slowly. "If he has the Core, he'll be looking for the robot. He'll want revenge."

"The robot is scattered in pieces all along the Surface," Kisler reminded him. "I doubt Stone would be able to reanimate him."

Logan relaxed a bit at this reassurance but not completely. "He's crazy, Kisler. He'll do anything to get his revenge. We have to find him."

"I'm on it, sir," the General reassured him. "I have all my men on it."

Logan sighed, his brow furrowing in stress. "I know. Thank you, General. Call me with any more updates."

"Of course, sir."

The general hung up and Logan watched the hologram disappear, his face vacant and pale.

He sat there for a long moment, staring at the opposite wall unseeingly.

Then he buried his face in his hands and groaned.

~O~

**The Surface**

"Pass his right leg over, will you?"

"Sure," Zane murmured, picking up the leg from the pile. He double-checked to make sure it was the right one - he had never been good at telling right from left – before passing it over to Hamegg.

"Thanks, buddy," Hamegg muttered distractedly, taking the leg from Zane without really looking at it. His eyes stayed focused completely on the task at hand.

It was certainly quite a task. Rubbing his hands clean on his jeans, Zane glanced at the work table before him. Disassembled and assembled parts of Astro littered the whole of the surface. After Cora and Toby left, Hamegg had decided he needed to give Astro a thorough inspection before he decided where to start with fixing him. Upon that inspection, however, Hamegg found he needed to take Astro practically fully apart – minus most of his more delicate, internal tech – before he could actually start assembling him.

They'd been working for a good two hours now – well, Hamegg had been, anyway – and through the hard work, they were actually making pretty good time. Thankfully, Hamegg had announced just over ten minutes ago that he had succeeded in assembling the internal pieces that had been dislodged or damaged and was ready to progress to actually putting Astro fully together.

Despite himself, Zane had been quite relieved to hear this. Although he was more than happy to help – anything for Astro – being Hamegg's helper was duller than dull. Since he wasn't qualified to actually _help _help, he had to be content with simply handing over tools and parts for Hamegg to use and running a few quick errands to the spare parts pile now and then.

On top of that, Hamegg wasn't being incredibly chatty, contrary to his normal, boisterous self. When they had first started working - which felt like forever ago to Zane, who wasn't amazingly patient – he had, for his credit, attempted to make a bit of conversation. It hadn't really worked. Zane hadn't talked to Hamegg since what had happened at the Robot Games had gone down and he was still not entirely on good terms with the man. He trusted him well enough. While he was here, he doubted Hamegg would try anything fancy on Astro, and he even more seriously doubted he'd do anything purposely to sabotage Astro's systems. If Astro woke up and was damaged, he'd be facing Cora's wrath, and even if it _was _an accident Zane figured Hamegg would not do well in that scenario. No one does well in any scenario when Cora is emotionally upset. Cora plus emotions equals danger with a capital D. Zane knew that from experience.

So after the little bit of conversation they had mustered petered out – which had been pretty dull to begin with - they had lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. Zane gave him points for effort, but Hamegg had never been very good at making small talk – he had always been more of a father figure, and that approach seemed all wrong now – so he wasn't really surprised.

Unfortunately, however, this left Zane with plenty of time to himself to think.

Zane wasn't much of a thinker. It wasn't his thing. He had always been more of the action type, like Cora. Act now, think later. Do something fun now, something serious never. He was more of the playful person, the handy one on occasion. He had always been good at fixing things, although he never had the patience or the diligence to ever become really good in one particular area. Hence why he wasn't _quite _good enough to help out more with Astro. But he wasn't half bad.

The point was he wasn't much for sitting around and contemplating life. He was always doing something to keep himself busy, he didn't like lounging around. It was boring.

So now, when he had so much time to himself, he was really at a loss of what to do. Or rather, to think.

His thoughts had ranged everywhere from Cora and Toby, hoping they were doing all right to how much he missed playing video games. During one trip the robot parts pile, he'd passed by the old game system he and Sludge had fixed up while they were here, and to his surprise, the sight caused a slight pain in his chest. Was he feeling sentimental? That was a first. He'd never been the sentimental type.

Despite himself, he did miss this place, though. He'd lived here longer than he could remember. Grew up here. Had fun here. He guessed it made sense that he'd have a bit of sentiment for it.

He was still glad that he had decided to move into the city, however. He had some great memories here, great times. But they were in the past now, and he knew if he'd chosen to stay here, it would never be the same again. Not since Astro. Astro changed everything.

And maybe for the better. Reflecting on the robot he stared at now, disassembled and strewn this way in that, Zane thought back to when Astro first walked into his life. It hadn't been very long ago. Only a week or so, really. He wasn't entirely sure how long it had been exactly. It seemed crazy, that they had only met such a short time ago. It felt like a lifetime. He knew Astro so well already, and the two of them had hit it off right away – after they 'rescued' him from the RRF, of course. Astro was shy and a bit awkward, but he was nice and, once he got out of his shell a bit, fairly adventurous. The things they'd done while he was staying at the repair shop, Zane recalled, were some of the most fun Zane had ever had.

Yes, Astro had changed things for the better, even now. The orphanage couldn't have lasted forever. Zane figured he had known that, deep down. And the Robot Games had been getting out of hand. Sure, they were robots battling to the death, not humans. They had used that as an excuse, justification. But they had all known how sophisticated robots were getting. Back when the games had started, robotic programming was limited and not near the level of human intelligence or life. Now things were different. Now even lowly robots, like the RRF, had about the same amount of personality as Astro did, with a lot less complicated programming. Maybe not human emotion quite like Astro's, but a much more human quality. When you gave robots that much humanity, the games became that much more barbaric.

In that respect, he was glad they were over. When he was younger he had really enjoyed watching the Robot Games - looked forward to it, even. But each year they became that much more barbaric and although on the outside he still got into the Games, every year he became more and more sick of them, an icky feeling residing in the pit of his stomach as he watched the robots tear each other apart. When Hamegg had thrown Astro in, that same feeling at spread throughout his entire body and he felt like he was going to puke.

Nope, he was definitely glad that that was over.

And Hamegg, too, had been exposed, his true colors shown. Zane had been hurt, deeply hurt, to find out that Hamegg was as cold as he truly was. He had been an orphan as long as he could remember and had no recollection of his parents. Hamegg had taken him in and had been like a father to him, showing him the ways of the Surface dweller. He was smart, large, kind and jolly and Zane always knew he could rely on him. To have that illusion ripped away…well, it left Zane a bit raw and a bit less innocent. He didn't like it. Not at all.

But what happened happened and if there was one thing Zane had always been good at it was going with the flow. He couldn't change the past or his hurt, so he simply had to deal with it and move on.

And moving on he was. Moving on and building a new life in Metro City. A life with his now half-sister Cora, her parents and all his former Surface family.

And Astro. He might be a robot, but he was family. And family did not give up on family.

_Come on, Astro, _he thought to himself, staring sadly at his friends vacant, detached head. _Come on, bro. Come back to us._

BAM!

Both Zane and Hamegg jumped violently at the sudden sound and whipped around in unison, eyes wide.

"Front door?" Zane murmured, his heartbeat increasing at the thought. Could it be…?

"Check," Hamegg whispered. He soundlessly passed a wrench to Zane from his work bench. "Take this. If it's not Cora, whack 'em."

Zane nodded in agreement, taking the wrench and gripping it tightly before making his way slowly in the direction of the workshop's door.

He stopped at the doorframe, the blood rushing in his ears as he tightened his grip on the wrench and peeked around the corner.

Nothing.

Letting out his breath, he continued out of the workshop and made his way to the main room of the orphanage. He could see nothing out of place through the doorway, but he noted the lights were off. He could not recall if they had been off or on before, and his unease increased.

Plucking up a bit of courage before he convinced himself to go back, Zane carefully entered the room.

It was dim with the lights off and hard to see. He still hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary so he continued to walk and –

"BOO!"

"AGHHHHHHH!" Zane screeched, falling backwards and whipping the wrench around blindly at his invisible attacker. He heard a laugh and felt the wrench leave his grasp as he got the wind knocked out of him from the force of the stone floor.

To his annoyance, he recognized the laugh.

"Cora," he wheezed, sitting up. "Not cool. Really not cool!"

"Oh, if you could've seen your face!" Cora snorted, standing over him and laughing to the point of hysterics, holding his wrench easily in her hand. "You looked like a ghost."

"Ha ha, very funny," Zane grunted, getting to his feet and finding himself relieved –despite himself – to see her okay. "You'd better watch your back now, sis. You've got one coming."

"Maybe two," another familiar voice said behind him.

Zane whirled to see Astro's likeness leaning against the orphanage's giant dining table, smirking with his holo-pad hovering in front of him. A picture of Zane's rather unflattering facial expression upon being frightened by the two teenagers was clearly displayed on the blue screen.

"No, you didn't," Zane breathed, looking horrified.

Toby simply smirked.

"You," Zane said slowly, pointing a finger at the other boy. "You, you are going to delete that right now."

"Au contraire," Toby grinned slyly. "I'm going to do _this."_

He pressed a button and Cora's phone dinged a second later. She pulled it out and keeled over in peals of laughter again, the picture now displayed on her phone as well.

Zane moaned and put his head in his hands. "This can't be happening," he groaned.

"Oh, but it is," Cora grinned, slipping her phone away. "And even better, look what I found on the doorstep."

Eyes sparkling, the spunky dark-haired teenager opened her satchel and the dark room began to glow a soft blue as she carefully and dramatically pulled the Blue Core out of its worn depths.

Zane's eyes widened as he stared at it, his irises reflecting its pure positive energy. "You got it," he breathed.

"You bet we got it," Cora exclaimed, her blue eyes sparkling with such pure happiness that Zane forgot all about the offending picture of him in seeing her. He had forgotten how much he loved seeing her happy. "It's about time that lazy little robot woke up from his nap."

"Hamegg's in the back," Zane said quickly, a rush of adrenaline coming over him as he turned and sprinted his way back to the workshop. "He's almost ready!"

The other two teenagers followed, coming around to the workshop with the Core nestled safely in Cora's protective hands.

Hamegg was standing over Astro busily, the small robot a good ways into being assembled. Astro's torso had now been successfully reattached to his legs and left arm. Hamegg was busy attaching the right as they entered, wires sparking as he did.

"Hamegg," Zane breathed, coming to a stop behind the former orphanage runner. "Hamegg, they're back!"

The overweight man turned at his words and smiled excitedly, mustache twitching. "Did you get the – "

He broke off as he spotted Cora in the doorway, face glowing blue in the light of the glowing sphere resting in her outstretched palms.

His eyes widened. "You got it!"

"'Course we go it," Cora sniffed, her tone regaining a slight edge now that she was addressing Hamegg again. It was obvious she still hadn't forgiven him. "Didn't believe we would?"

Hamegg's face fell a bit to hear Cora's tone but he ignored it. "I never doubted you, Cora," he answered, sounding fairly truthful. "How'd you manage to get it from those military freaks?"

"Well, it wasn't easy," Toby boasted, sighing and leaning against the wall in an arrogant sort of way. "I had to hack the whole of the Ministry of Science and a secure military faculty to get to it, as well as shut down a field of P2 voltage."

"And I pointed two Mega-blasters at the guards' faces and then blew up the whole basement," Cora claimed, grinning at the astonished looks on Zane and Hamegg's faces as she recounted her story. "No biggie. Then we got the Core and ran."

Hamegg gawked at Toby. "You hacked the Ministry _and _the facility?"

Zane stared at Cora in awe. "Two _Mega-blasters?"_

Toby and Cora simply smirked at each other.

"Easy as pie, wasn't it, Toby?" Cora commented nonchalantly.

"Easier," Toby answered smoothly, stretching. He looked to Astro. "Are we going to wake him up or not?"

Cora glanced to Hamegg, her hands twitching around the Core in anticipation. "Is he ready?"

Hamegg snapped out of his awe-struck reverie quickly and shook his head, turning back to the broken robot. "Right, yes, I only have a few minor adjustments and attachments and he'll be good as new," he proclaimed, moving back to the bench. His hands worked deftly and quickly as he grabbed Astro's right arm and performed a few quick alterations before expertly attaching the severed arm to Astro's small body. The arm clicked into place and the hyper-sensitive skin-like material covered over the seam almost immediately. Hamegg smiled at his handiwork.

"Just the head left," he murmured. "Cora, bring the Core over here."

Cora's hands shook a bit but she obeyed, moving closer to the table so that she stood next to Hamegg and Astro's vacant form. Her lip quivered as she looked over him but she stayed strong.

Hamegg then picked up Astro's head with delicate hands a moved it towards his detached body. Carefully, he lined up the wires and gently moved the head into place, connected the appropriate tech and placing the neck seams together with a satisfying click.

Mesmerizingly, the hyper-sensitive skin ran over the neck seam and it disappeared from sight, leaving Astro looking new and clean, like he had been simply lounging on the bench and happened to doze off.

The four of them stood there for a moment, staring at his vacant form.

Then, slowly, Hamegg backed away, giving Cora some room.

Cora's hands began to shake uncontrollably as she gently lay the glowing Blue Core down on the table top and reached out her hand to Astro's smooth chest. Her fingers found the spot where she knew his chest hatch was concealed and she laid her unsteady palm gently upon it.

On cue, the small square revealed itself, the dark lines of the hatch starkly absent of the slight bluish glow it had last time Cora had seen it. Cora bit her lip and sucked in her breath, slowly curling her fingernails underneath the seams and lifting the hatch delicately.

The familiar tangle of wires and empty space greeted her, looking largely unfinished without its glowing centerpiece. Hands sweaty, Cora tore her eyes away from it and glanced at her prize, the orb that sat next to her on the table.

She'd done so much to get this for him. She'd waited too long and gone through too much pain for this moment to occur.

It was time for her to get her Astro back.

Cora took one, big preparatory breath before scooping up the Core in one swift motion and placing it in the dead center of Astro's chest. She pressed it down lightly and felt her breath leave her.

Slowly, the lifeless wires surrounding the Core began to glow blue and sparkle with life, the energy beginning to travel down the rest of Astro's frame. Eyes sparkling and a ghost of a smile forming, Cora shut Astro's chest hatch and stepped back, watching the small square disappear into his skin once more.

She joined Zane, Toby and Hamegg on the far wall without a word and watched.

For a moment, nothing happened and Astro remained motionless.

And then, he moved.

It was gradual at first. A flick of a finger. A small twitch of his hand. But it slowly became more as Astro's leg gave a solid kick and his eyes flew open, glowing a blinding blue before slowly diming down and returning to their normal brown irises.

He lay there for a moment, face vacant and eyes open, staring listlessly at the ceiling.

Then, slowly, he began to rise.

Red boots swung around the edge of the metal countertop and hands full of life and strength gripped the sides as Astro sat upright and faced his friends, eyes open and fully restored.

Cora let out a strangled cry and rushed to him, bringing him into a giant hug. "Astro," she sobbed. "Thank God we got you back. I thought I'd lost you forever."

The robot didn't answer and simply let Cora hug him until her sobs subsided and she backed up, wiping her tears away and composing herself.

Zane came up next to her and put a light hand on her shoulder, smiling wide. "Don't mind her, Astro," he laughed, flashing the android his normal half-smirk of a smile. "She's been getting a bit emotional. Hormones and stuff, y'know."

Cora elbowed him promptly and Hamegg smiled wide. "Welcome back, Astro!" he greeted him regally, spreading his arms. "You're all patched up. Did it all myself, y'know. No need to thank me. Thought this one helped a bit too."

He elbowed Toby, who ran a critical eye over the robot. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I am functional," Astro deadpanned.

All four of them froze, smiles forgotten.

Cora stared at her friend with horror in her eyes, mouth flapping uselessly. "A-Astro?" she whispered shakily.

The robot turned his head to look at her, his eyes meeting hers, but there was no emotion in them. His face was blank and devoid of any kind of expression, his mouth a simple straight line.

He did not respond to his name.

Involuntarily, the tears returned and Cora found she could no longer speak. She stared at Astro in complete utter horror, confusion and grief as two silent tears rolled down her cheek.

"His…his voice," Zane choked, looking a bit sick. "What…his voice. That's not his voice, it…it's too…"

"Robotic," Hamegg finished for him, his face contorted in a mixture of emotions.

Cora let out a small strangled noise before rounding on Hamegg, eyes blazing with deadly fire. "What did you do to him?" she screeched, her mouth practically foaming in rage and pain.

Hamegg backed up flat against the wall, looking terrified. "Nothing, I swear!" he pleaded. "I just fixed him up like normal! I don't know what happened!"

"I think I know," Toby whispered quietly, his face turning hard as he took a couple steps forward and locked a stance that squarely faced Astro.

"Astro," he said loudly in a commanding voice, his expression stony.

The robot did not move, his gaze still focused on the emotional Cora.

Toby narrowed his eyes. "Robot," he snapped, using the same tone of voice.

At this, Astro's head snapped quickly to face Toby, his vacant eyes meeting Toby's identical ones.

Toby let out a breath. "Do you know you're name?" he asked Astro slowly.

Astro looked at him for a long moment before shaking his head.

Toby thought about this for a moment. "Do you know where you came from?"

Another shake of the head.

"Do you know what you are?"

There was a pause, then a nod.

Toby sucked in his breath nervously. "Do you know who I am?" he asked slowly.

There was another short moment before another shake of the head.

Toby exhaled and looked troubled. "This isn't good."

"What is it?" Hamegg queried. "I don't understand. I fixed him. All the parts were accounted for, I don't know why – "

"Not all the parts," Toby cut him off, striding up to Astro purposely and nodding to the metal bench. "Down," he commanded, and Astro obeyed, lying back down.

"What?" Hamegg spluttered, at the same time Cora whipped around, a mixture of emotions shining through her tears.

"What are you doing to him?" she demanded, watery blue eyes blazing.

"Confirming a suspicion," Toby answered, taking out his holo-pad. He turned it on and quickly pulled something up. He glanced at it, before turning back to Astro and abruptly opening his chest hatch. With one swift movement, he tore the Core out.

"No!" Cora screeched, rushing forward and grabbing his arm. "What are you doing!?"

"Cora!" Toby reassured her calmly, trying to move the hysteric teenager away from Astro. "Cora, trust me. I'm not going to hurt him."

Cora stopped wrestling for a second and looked at him with steely blue eyes. "Promise?" she whispered.

"Promise," Toby swore.

Cora's lip quivered, but she crossed her arms defiantly and sunk into a nearby chair.

Toby gave her a weak smile before turning back to Astro, focused. He put the Core down gently before rolling Astro on his side carefully, looking at the robot's artificial hair. He ran a skillful finger over the slick surface before stopping at a spot right next to one of the spikes, a small, triumphant smile growing on his features.

"Gotcha," he murmured, pressing down on the spot.

A small hatch appeared beneath his finger, much like Astro's chest one but much, much smaller. Still pleased with himself for discovering it, Toby opened it slowly and looked inside.

It was an empty slot, like where you'd place a battery or a DVD. Whatever had been there had been removed.

"As I thought," Toby murmured.

Hamegg slowly approached Toby from behind, observing the small hatch in interest and slight confusion. "I still don't understand," he admitted. "What goes there? What's missing? I've never seen a robot with a hatch there before."

"That's because Astro's different," Toby stated, sliding his holo-pad over for Hamegg to see. The technician looked at it in awe to see a full, detailed blueprint of Astro. Toby pointed to a long rod sticking out of the top of Astro's head.

"That's an antenna," he explained. "It's concealed in one of Astro's spiked. My father used it to upload my memories into Astro's systems by downloading my DNA straight into a memory chip concealed in the tip of the antenna.

Hamegg studied the blueprint of the antenna in wonder before glancing back to the empty hatch in sudden understanding. "And that hatch is the entrance to the tip of the antenna," he finished for him in understanding, face crumpling.

"Yeah," Toby confirmed, looking down at Astro forlornly. "The memory chip should be here, but it isn't. That's why Astro isn't responding correctly. He doesn't have any humanity." He looked up at Hamegg. "He doesn't have _me_."

Hamegg's mouth promptly fell open and a few choice expletives came out.

"Memory chip?" Zane repeated, looking worried. "So…you're saying Astro's fine, but all his memories are missing?"

"Basically, every part of Astro that makes him Astro except for the Core is out the window," Hamegg cursed.

"But…where is it?" Cora sniffed, hurriedly trying to wipe away her tears and regain the steely determination she had possessed before. The sudden setback in the mission of getting Astro back had affected her emotions a bit more than she would have liked.

Toby leaned back against the work table and put a finger to his lips, thinking. "I don't know for sure," he said slowly. "But I have a pretty good idea."

"Who?" the other three all said in unison.

A look of mixed emotions crossed Toby's face. "My dad," he said flatly.

The three of them all gaped at him.

"Wait, wait, wait," Hamegg said, waving his arms in a disbelieving manner. "Let me get this straight. You think Tenma – your dad – took Astro's memory chip?"

Toby nodded.

"Why would he do that?" Cora asked, looking angry. "He kicked him out. Twice. He's the whole reason we're in this mess! Why would he want Astro's memories?"

Toby shrugged. "Sentiment?" he suggested. "I don't know the 'why'. I just know the odds that it was him compared to not him say it's him. He's one of the few people that has access and knows Astro's blueprints. Only four other scientists knew of Astro's existence when he was made."

Hamegg narrowed his eyes and gave the kid genius a searching look. "How do you know all this?" he asked suspiciously. "Weren't you dead?"

"Absorbed," Toby corrected. "And I didn't know. I hacked the Ministry of Science's secure files when Cora and I were there and found his blueprints and lab history. It was all there, just buried under my dad's passcodes and such, which I know."

Hamegg glanced at Toby's holo-pad. "Oh," he said dumbly.

"Doesn't matter," Cora cut in, her expression stony and her blood boiling. Zane took a step back from her, worried she might pop. "Tenma's our key to getting Astro's back. That means we need to find him and get that chip."

"We might not even need to do that," Toby said, going back to his holo-pad and beginning to tap away on it quickly.

"What do you mean?" Zane asked, leaning over Toby's shoulder and looking curious.

Toby's mischievous smile returned as he pulled up the blueprint of the Ministry of Science and zoomed in on one of the offices. He pointed to it triumphantly. "My dad's office," he said smugly. "He doesn't normally bring much work home. If it's anywhere, it's either on him, or there somewhere."

"So we're going to break into Tenma's office and steal the chip?" Zane confirmed.

"You bet we are," Cora growled, eyes narrowing as she slammed her fist down on the metal bench loudly before turning on her heel.

"Hamegg," she ordered, pointing a finger at him. "Take care of Astro. Hide the Core somewhere safe."

Brushing a stray hair out of her face, Cora scooped up Hamegg's wrench and slipped it into her satchel, her face filled with pure, unwavering determination.

"We're going to go steal a chip."


	17. Memories and Chips

TWAMP.

Black hiking boots hit the solid metal floor of the Ministry of Science as their owner jumped off the rail and landed in one swift motion. The somewhat-discreet noise was then followed by the soft sound of running feet as the person in question rounded the nearest corner and pressed herself against the smooth metal wall. The shadows danced around her and concealed her black-clad form.

Breathing a tad heavily, the intruder took a small, silver communicator out of her belt and brought it to her lips.

"All clear," she whispered. "Come on in."

The 'all clear' was soon followed by a somewhat less-heedful entrance of the girl's two partners, jumping off the rail and landing rather clumsily on top of each other.

"Ow! Toby! Get off of me!"

"Get off of _you? You _get off of _me! _This is your fault!"

"My fault!? If you had been paying attention – "

"If you hadn't pushed me – "

"Shut _up,_ both of you!"

The sharp, feminine voice shut both boys up in an instant.

Moving ominously out of the shadows, Cora emerged, eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Could you make any more racket?" she complained, blue eyes blazing. "If you hadn't notice, we're kind of in the middle of a _break in._"

"Relax, Cora," Toby huffed, worming his way out from underneath Zane and dusting himself off nonchalantly. "It's not like we haven't done it before."

"That was three in the morning," Cora chided irritably. "If you haven't noticed, it's nearly five and Heaven knows when someone will show up for work! We have to do this quickly and efficiently and you two are falling over each other every two seconds! Get it together!"

"Yes, ma'am," Toby said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Cora gave him a look of death but Zane managed to stop her from pouncing on him.

"Let's just find Tenma's office, shall we?" he suggested tiredly. And he thought the twins could be annoying.

Cora narrowed her eyes at Astro's double but lamented. "Fine. We'll move in the shadows and beas _quiet _as possible, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Toby said again, tone dripping with sarcasm. "Although I don't get why you're being all secret agent about this."

A sigh escaped Cora's lips.

"Because," she said solemnly, her annoyance replaced with urgency. "If we fail, Astro's gone for good and I c_annot _allow that to happen."

For once Toby did not have a snarky response.

Her point made, Cora turned on her heel. "C'mon," she mumbled, her voice choked.

Zane and Toby shared a small look before gathering themselves and following.

The walked in silence for a bit, Toby eventually taking the lead when it was clear that Cora had absolutely no idea where she was going. Cora didn't object.

After a minute, Toby stopped abruptly in front of one of the many smooth metal doorways that seemed to dominate this God-forsaken building. This one was much bigger than the others, but otherwise had no distinguishable features.

"This it?" Zane asked.

Toby nodded, looking a little nervous. He didn't move to open it.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Cora asked, an edge to her voice. "Open it."

"I…" Toby swallowed. "I've never…I've never been in his office before."

Cora and Zane stared. "He's never brought you to work before?" Cora asked.

Toby shook his head. "No, he has," he said. "But he was always in the lab. He'd let me watch him work from behind the protective shield. I never…he never let me into his office."

Zane and Cora looked at each other, neither of them really knowing what to say. Zane had never known his parents, and Cora had just been reunited with hers. They were hardly one to empathize when it came to an estranged genius of a dad.

Zane cleared his throat awkwardly. "Um…" he trailed. "I'm…sorry he wasn't there for you more. But…you can get in, right?"

Toby exhaled lightly. "Yeah," he said, pulling his holo-pad out of his backpack and beginning to type on it. His fingers did not fly as fast as they usually did.

Cora and Zane shared another look, but neither of them spoke up.

After a moment, there was a small ding from Toby's holo-pad, and the door slid open with a welcoming _shink!_

The three of them cautiously entered.

It didn't look that much different from Elefun's office. It was a basic cubicle, slightly bigger than the others, with sleek, metallic floors and walls and modern furniture. Three computer monitors dotted the desk and a single chair, much like Elefun's.

The only difference was Tenma's work space was a whole lot messier.

Papers, tablets, pens, pencils, tablet pens, holo-pads, lab equipment and MB flash drives were strewn everywhere. The virtual keyboard floating above the desk space was distorted a bit by the clutter.

Toby didn't seem surprised. "He's never been big on organization," he commented.

Cora walked over to the desk, pushing the pile-up aside a bit to better see the keyboard. She pressed a few keys, expecting the monitor to turn on. It didn't.

"Can you get in?" she asked, staring at the dark screens.

"I don't know," Toby answered, coming up next to her and gently taking the keyboard from her. He typed a few things, and the three monitors lit up, asking for a password.

Toby frowned and Cora gave him a look. "Any idea?"

Toby bit his lip, looking down at the keyboard in thought. After a moment, he typed in 'Toby'.

The monitor rejected his try with a small beep, asking him to try again.

Toby looked a bit upset, the vacant look that he had had when opening the door returning. Cora felt a small rush of empathy, but again was at a loss of what to say.

After a moment, Toby typed in something else, faster this time. Cora couldn't see what he spelled.

She looked to the monitor. With a small ding, it accepted the password, commencing login.

She smiled. "What was it?"

Toby exhaled shakily. Cora turned to him, alarmed to see him slightly teary-eyed.

"I…it…" he trailed, blinking back tears. "Esmeralda."

Cora blinked. "What?"

"Esmeralda," Toby repeated, staring at the monitor without really seeing it. "My mother."

The realization hit Cora a bit hard and her eyes met Zane's.

This wasn't really turning out to be Toby's trip.

Zane cleared his throat. "Right," he said, nodding to the now-successfully logged in computer. "Where would Tenma have Astro's information?"

"Probably in his lab files," Toby said, sniffling slightly as he shook himself out of his reverie and returned to what he knew best: electronics. His fingers began to fly again and pop-ups began to flash. "Somewhere around the day he created Astro…a day or so after I was absorbed."

He typed for a moment, before one window came up and he stopped to scroll, looking at a list of dates. He murmured "that one," before clicking on a specific date.

Another window popped up, riddled with words and diagrams.

Cora felt a pang in her chest. The diagrams were Astro.

They weren't much different than the one Toby had had on his holo-pad. This time there was just more of them, some of them more intricate and zoomed in on certain parts of his body. Cora's heart skipped a beat on one of his chest hatch. It was zoomed in close-up, showing tiny parts of the system that wove around the circle center that belonged to the Core. It haunted Cora somehow. She'd seen the inside of Astro's chest in person, but on a blueprint it seemed so much more inhuman. Like it was proof that Astro had no heart. No humanity.

A cold knot grew quickly in her stomach and she felt like she was going to throw up.

Toby didn't seem bothered. He quickly scrolled down the page before stopping at a certain section, headed by a zoomed-in blueprint of Astro's antenna. A small box arrowed off of the base of the antenna showed the small hatch they had discovered on Astro's head earlier.

Inside, the print of a small chip was documented.

Toby leaned in, his eyes flicking back and forth as he read.

He frowned. "It's just all information on the make-up," he murmured, continuing to scroll. "I don't see anything on where he put – "

He cut off abruptly, freezing.

Cora clenched her hands. "What is it?"

"Shhh!" Toby hissed, looking towards the door. "Do you hear that?"

Cora and Zane followed his gaze, listening intently.

For a second, there was nothing.

Then the all heard it.

Footsteps.

And coming this way.

"Dad!" Toby yelped, turning back to the keyboard in a flurry and hurriedly exiting out of the files. He hit log off and dived under the desk. Zane sprinted to the light, pressed his palm to it and the room went dark. Him and Cora joined Toby under the desk, the three of them quickly pulled a large metal panel over themselves to conceal them.

Not a moment later, they heard the footsteps stop and the door of the room slide open. The lights turned back on with a soft _click._

From the space between the metal sheet and the desk, Toby could make out black shoes and the edges of a white lab coat approaching the desk. He heard the wheels of the chair squeal as his father sat down by the keyboard.

There was a sigh and then silence as his father typed. The three teenagers held their breath, Tenma's toes inches from their hiding place.

Tenma continued to type. Minutes passed slowly.

Cora nudged his foot impatiently, as if to say, _"When is he going to leave?"_

Toby bit his lip, silently answering her silent question. "_Never or a while." _His father often became so absorbed in his work that he wouldn't leave it for hours on end, even to go to the bathroom.

They were going to be here for a while.

Unless…

Another set of footprints materialized over the drone of Tenma's typing. Toby's spirits lifted. Maybe…?

He grinned. Yes! A pair of dark shoes, stubby legs and a lab coat entered. A moment later, a voice said, "Tenma!"

Elefun!

The wheels of the chair spun as Tenma turned around.

"Elefun," he said. "You're here early."

"You never left," Elefun answered. There was a smack of something hitting the desk. "It says here you never clocked out. Have you been done in the labs this whole time?"

A yawn from Tenma was all the answer Elefun needed. "I've been busy."

"With what?" Elefun demanded. "You have a son, you know."

Toby inhaled sharply.

Tenma paused. "Yes," he breathed. "Toby. I…I should check on him."

"Don't bother, I already did," Elefun sighed. "He's sleeping."

A lie. Toby felt a swell of gratitude for the scientist. Elefun hated lying, and here he was, lying to his best friend to protect Toby and his friends. To protect Astro.

"Thank you, Elefun," Tenma said, sounding drowsy. "I meant…I didn't forget, I was just…"

"I know," Elefun said, the bit of anger in his voice leaving. "A lot has happened. You should get some rest."

_Yes, leave, _Toby willed silently.

"No, no," Tenma protested, turning back to his work. "I have things to do. I have…"

He cut off, his hand in his jacket pocket. Toby could see it through the crack, his fingers clutched around something within.

"Have what?" Elefun inquired. His feet moved so that he could see why Tenma had frozen. "Have what?"

Slowly, Tenma lifted his hand out of his pocket. Cora, Zane and Toby all inhaled sharply.

The chip. Tenma was holding Astro's memory chip.

They heard Elefun gasp as well. "Is that…?"

Tenma twirled the chip in his hand, hovering above his pocket. He didn't answer Elefun's half-question.

"Why?" Elefun asked slowly, sounding bewildered. "Why would you take it out?"

"I don't know," Tenma wavered, his voice breaking. He threw the chip almost angrily back into his pocket and sat back heavily. His voice became muffled, like he had his head in his hands. "I don't know anything anymore, Elefun."

Elefun exhaled. "You miss him, don't you?"

Tenma didn't answer.

Elefun sighed in exasperation. "I don't understand you, Tenma!" he almost-shouted. "Why won't you let yourself have what you want?"

"Because I _shouldn't _want it, Elefun!" Tenma exploded. "I have my son back! I shouldn't _want _his copy back!"

"But you do!" Elefun argued. "Astro is his own person! He _isn't _a copy! _That's _why you miss him. Why can't you have them both?"

Tenma's fingers tapped slowly on the desktop. "It'd never work," he whispered.

"You don't know that," Elefun said.

Tenma said nothing.

Elefun sighed. "You are truly hopeless," he said. "At least come get coffee with me?"

Tenma hesitated and Toby held his breath.

"Fine," Tenma said finally, beginning to get up.

"Leave the lab coat," Elefun suggested. "Whether you think you need a break or not, you need a break."

Tenma hesitated once more, before slowly stripping himself of his lap coat and following Elefun.

After a moment, the door slid shut and the lights flicked off.

Toby, Cora and Zane hesitated for another half a minute before throwing the metal sheet aside. Zane hurried to turn the lights back on.

Cora stared at Toby for a long minute, as if weighing him in light of what she had just heard.

Toby chose to ignore it. Instead, he made a break for his father's lab coat. With triumphant fingers, he retrieved the chip.

"I got it!" he said. "Let's go."

The other two nodded, and turned to leave –

Just as the thunder of running feet sounded.

The three of them looked at one another in alarm, before diving back into their hiding place on impulse. The lights went out and the metal was quickly put back in place.

A second later the door slid open and Tenma and Elefun came rushing back in in a flurry.

"Hold on, Mr. President, I'm transferring you to the screen now," Tenma was saying.

There was a rush of computer keys and a flash of light, and then President Logan's voice filled the room.

"We haven't much time, I need to know your verdict," he said.

"Tell me exactly what happened," Tenma demanded.

"Former President Stone has been found missing from his cell. All the guards on duty are unconscious, seemingly from an electric blast. Approximately a half hour later, we received a report that the Blue Core has gone missing from our faculty."

Tenma exhaled sharply and the three teenagers looked at each other in alarm. Stone was loose?

The slam of a fist on metal jolted them back to reality. "Hamegg," Tenma hissed, venom in his voice.

"What?" Elefun and Logan said in unison.

"_What?" _Cora hissed.

"Hamegg," Tenma repeated, sounding angry. "Only Hamegg would be crafty enough and have the motive to break Stone out. They're in cahoots to steal the Core."

"You believe this man would do that?" Logan asked.

"Hamegg is a power-hungry genius who was exiled from Metro City long ago," Tenma said. "Something as powerful as the Core in his hands means he could potentially take over the city. With Stone as his ally, undoubtly. We have to stop them."

"Tenma, are you sure – " Elefun started.

"It makes sense, Elefun," Tenma spat. "That man has been waiting for his chance at revenge for too long."

"Where is this Hamegg?" Logan asked.

"The Surface," Tenma answered. "I know where. I can lead you to him."

"Good," Logan said. "I'll send a team to meet you outside the Ministry."

"Don't bother," Tenma said, grabbing his lab coat in a flurry. "I'll meet your team at the G-building. Elefun, come with me."

And with that, he was out the door. "I'll see you soon, Mr. President," Elefun said, shutting down the call and leaving the room hurriedly after Tenma.

The light went out and the door slid shut.

This time, Cora kicked the metal sheet so hard it flew half way across the room. With heavy boots she slammed on the lights. As her face came into view, her blue eyes were blazing with fire and worry.

"They're going to Hamegg's," she heaved. "They're going for the Core and Astro. We have to get there. Fast!"

"Hoverpeds!" Toby spewed, his mind racing. "The ministry loans them. They're parked outside."

"We're ordering three hoverpeds to go, c'mon!" Zane yelled, already charging out the door. Cora and Toby followed, the three of them sprinting through the ministry faster than they had ever ran.

Through the lobby, out the doors, to the right –

A line of hovering, sleek white mopeds greeted them, secured the ground with glowing green bands.

In one fluid motion, Toby whipped out his holo-pad, clicked something and slid it under the hoverpeds.

There was a buzz and the pad emitted a small show of lightening, short circuiting the green locks and simultaneously revving three hoverpeds' engines.

Neither Cora nor Zane questioned how he had had this capability so ready at his fingertips and instead both claimed a hoverped, gripping the handles and speeding off toward the chute to the Surface. Toby scooped up his holo-pad, threw it in his pack and followed at top speed, praying to God they weren't late.

The memory chip suddenly felt very heavy in his pocket.

_Hold on, brother. We're coming. _


	18. ilicet

**(A/N: Helllooo guys…um, yeah, sorry for the infrequent updates. I know I say that and continue, I'm sorry, it's kind of just the way it works. My life is crazy busy and I have little time to write anything of substance usually, or only bits and pieces here and there. It'll get done eventually, though, I promise. But here's this! Yay! Update! We're finally getting to the real juicy stuff…heh heh heheheheh…enjoy!)**

**BONUS A/N: Anyone speak Latin? Title's a bit of a spoiler ;) Thanks for reading!**

Cora was having difficulty breathing.

Her hands were clutched so tight on the hoverped handles that her knuckles had gone ghastly white and she scarcely had a coherent thought. One word kept cycling through her head. One name.

_Astro Astro Astro Astro Astro Astro Astro._

They had to make it to him before Tenma did.

She willed the hoverped to move faster, even though she knew it was already going at its top speed. Zane was zooming parallel to her at the same rate, a stony, serious look on his face that he rarely ever had. Zane wasn't exactly Mr. Serious, but in this case, they were both in the same boat.

Toby road not far behind them, shouting out various directions as they went and taking seemingly random turns and shortcuts. They weaved between buildings, flipped tables and benches and startled a few early-birds walking their pets. At one time, they even had a few police hovercars on their tail, but Toby quickly helped to shake them.

Cora hardly noticed. Her thoughts were all on Astro, every muscle in her body tense and every nerve tingling as she prayed to everyone and anyone she could think of that she wasn't too late.

The city was starting to thin and the outer skirts of the once-floating island were coming into view. Metal was giving way to slightly churned earth and a few sproutings of real – not artificial – grass.

They were almost to the chute.

"Will hoverpeds work on the Surface?" Zane shouted over the wind in their ears.

"Don't know!" Cora yelled back. "Guess we'll find out!"

Before she could even punctuate the 't' in 'out', the chute loomed straight ahead and Cora plowed down it without a split second of hesitation, lifting off the seat a bit and holding on for dear life at the severe incline. The wind whipped in her hair, the small thrill of weightlessness filled her stomach –

And then the hoverped leveled with the ground and crashed with a spectacular face plant.

Cora was thrown over the handle bars, only half-able to soften her fall with a semi-somersault, landing awkwardly on top of her left leg. Two other crashing hoverpeds soon followed.

So hoverpeds _didn't _work on the surface.

Good to know.

She heard a groan and Zane's unruly mass of hair came into her view blearily. "Astro," he muttered groggily.

Yes. Astro.

She struggled to her feet. "We…have to keep…moving," she wheezed. Her chest seemed tight and it was hard to breath. The impact had jolted her pretty bad.

Zane made a face and grunted, but got to his feet as well, turning to help unearth Toby from the remains of his hoverpad. The three hobbled on in silent determination, running to the best of their ability and leaving the wreckage behind. Failure was not an option.

Cora was on fire. Her leg throbbed with pain from how she had landed, but she simply used that as focus, picking up speed and running almost faster than she had every before – and that was saying something. She dodged debris and junk and rock like they weren't even there, and didn't hesitate for shout nor sound.

Her breath was ragged and her lungs burned, but her will only grew as the silhouette of the orphanage came into her view, framed by the orangey glow of the rising sun.

"C'mon," she gasped, trying to push a bit more speed out of her tired legs as Zane and Toby huffed and puffed behind her, kicking up dust in their wake. "We're …almost…"

"There."

Her chest seized up on the word 'there' as she plowed up the hill sheltering the orphanage and the open land of spare parts she used to call home came into full view.

And parked on top of one of Hamegg's experimental robots - squashed to pulp - sat a Ministry of Science hovercar and an ominous black limo with the seal of the President on the door.

Cora blinked, her limbs suddenly feeling clumsy and slow, like she was trying to move through molasses. She vaguely registered Zane's voice and a hard yank to her arm, pulling her from sight behind the hill. She hardly noticed, feeling numb as she watched with Toby and Zane as the orphanage's doors were blown off its hinges by armed guards, their blasters glowing with green energy. She could hear the demanding voices of the officials and Hamegg's surprised shouts as his home was invaded.

She felt the numbness subside and her blood began to boil as she watched Bill Tenma and Dr. Elefun step out of the Ministry car, flanked by President Logan. They stood side by side, looking on as they waited.

Waited for…

She chocked, and she felt Zane's hand roughly clamp over her mouth before she could let forth the scream of rage and pain he knew was coming. She sobbed into his hand, trying to break free of him as he restrained her from lurching forward. "You can't," he whispered to her, and he was crying too. "You can't Cora, it's too late. You can't, we can't…"

She couldn't. Every inch of her, every atom, wanted her to hurl herself at Tenma and rip him limb from limb, bashing the heads in of every guard and knocking the President unconscious to prevent them from…from…

Heavy boots on metal floors and the shuffling of unbalanced feet sounded, and Hamegg was roughly shoved out the front door. He fell on the doorstep ungracefully, his rotund form rolling in the dust with loud complaints of protest and plea. But they fell on deaf ears.

"Hamegg, you are under arrest for aiding a fugitive and conspiring against the government," the official stated as Hamegg was ungraciously lifted from the ground and dragged away, cuffs being snapped on his wrists as he went. "You have a right to a lawyer – "

"I know my rights!" Hamegg snapped, his eyes blazing as they fixed on Tenma and Tenma alone.

"It's all your fault," he spat at him, straining against his captors like he was planning to tackle the scientist. "All your fault! He _loved _you, you monster, and you left him for spare parts!"

Tenma watched his former colleague with sad brown eyes before looking away, a stony mask for a face. "Goodbye, Hamegg," he said emotionlessly, ignoring the screams of outrage the former Ministry man emitted as he was unceremoniously pushed into the back of the limousine and shut inside.

His tantrum was only muffled, but Cora hardly noticed. The last guard had stepped outside, and someone was with him.

Astro stood at the guard's side, his face blank and devoid of any kind of human emotion - any hint at all her Astro was still in there. His brown eyes glinted with a slight inhuman blue glow and he walked like he was made of the metal he was, his steps slow and clunky and his arms lying listless at his sides.

He didn't make a sound, but his father let out a slight hiss, his façade crumbling slightly as emotions coursed through him. Cora screamed again into Zane's hand, attempting to lunge, but he held her back, crying right with her.

"Move, robot," the guard ordered, pushing Astro forward with a sharp jab with his probe. The poor little robot stumbled at the shove, falling over his large boots and crumpling to his knees.

Cora screeched and her muffled yell of horror was mirrored by Elefun, who rushed to Astro's side. Gingerly, he helped him back up and glared fiercely at the guard.

"Be careful!" he hissed venomously. "He is worth twenty of you!"

The guard put his hands up in a gesture of apology, looking put off. Tenma's lip quivered. "Let him go," he said. "It doesn't matter."

That was obviously not the best thing to say because Elefun rounded on him, eyes ablaze. "It doesn't matter?" he repeated, aghast. "_It doesn't matter! _By God, it matters, Tenma!"

But Tenma just shook his head slowly. "He's not Astro anymore," he said slowly, looking at Astro's blank face sadly. "Not anymore. Now he's just a robot."

"But…but…" Elefun blubbered, but before he could form coherent words, Tenma had strode past him to stand before Astro, his face stony.

"Robot," he commanded, his voice demanding but wavering.

Astro's head snapped to attention and Cora's hands shook as she clawed at the grass in agony.

Tenma swallowed roughly, as if contemplating his words. "Deactivate yourself," he said finally, chocking on the words.

Astro looked up at his creator with wide brown eyes, processing his request. Then, in one swift, mechanical motion he pressed his hand to his chest, opened the hatch and ripped the Core from his body.

Cora let forth an inhuman scream, hardly muffled by Zane's hand, but it didn't matter. She was crying, Zane was crying, even Toby was gripping the grass in horror. With a sickening clunk, Astro fell to his knees, the Core slipping from his grasp and rolling across the ground. As if in slow motion, he fell forward, motionless, into the dust.

Tears ran down Elefun's face, Hamegg banged on the window of the limo like a lunatic and even President Logan seemed a bit upset.

Tenma's lip quivered, but he did not break. Slowly, he bent down and plucked the Core from dirt with shaky fingers. He turned.

"Here," he said stiffly, handing the Core to Logan, who took it with numb hands. "Do what you want with it. I don't care anymore."

His eyes flickered behind him briefly, before fixing back to the Ministry car. "Just…dispose of him," he swallowed thickly. "I need to get back to my son."

He made a break for the car, not looking back. He didn't specify who 'he' was, but it was hardly necessary. Logan looked on at the deactivated robot sadly, the core glowing ominously in his hands.

A respective silence filled the yard that even Hamegg didn't break, as if mourning.

Then the sound of an engine starting broke it, and the Ministry car speed away, Tenma at the wheel. Tears were rolling down his face as he disappeared into the maze of Surface junk.

Cora had collapsed. Her back rested against the rough, charred grass of the hill and her arms lay as listless as Astro's at her side. The tears had stopped, the screams had stopped – she was just empty, a shell of her former self, the self she had been for so little a time, when everything was right. It had been too short. Much too short.

It was over. All over. They had failed. They had been so _close_, they'd tried so hard – and still they had failed him. Still _she _had failed him. He would have done anything to save her, and when he needed her most, she had fallen short.

The tears came again with renewed vigor. She had held the Core in her hands…they'd waken him…gotten the chip…

But all too little, too late.

Toby cleared his throat softly, looking at her with sad brown eyes that sympathized but didn't quite have the same depth of pain as Cora's. How could he? He hadn't known him. Not really. He had tried to help, tried his best, but it hadn't been enough. All he did now was add to her pain.

"What do we do now?" he asked quietly.

Zane looked to her with dead eyes, him and Toby both waiting for her response, her verdict, as if she were the judge with the final say.

Final say in what? What was there to say?

"We don't do anything," she said.

"It's over."

~O~

Yards away from the orphanage and concealed by a mound of metal trash, two silhouettes observed the events that transpired in silence, rigid and watchful.

Only after the President's withdrawal did they move.

The shorter of the two turned to the taller one, raising an eyebrow.

"So?" he asked.

The taller man chuckled, stepping out of the shadows with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Everything is going perfectly," Stone said, his dark eyes glinting with anticipation. "The fools are doing all the work for me."

He chuckled again darkly, turning swiftly on his heel.

"We'll start soon."


	19. The End

**(A/N: *coughs nervously* Sooo…hey… Um, yeah, again, not dead. Just busy, as always?**

**Stupid excuse, I know, I should have updated much earlier. I've been swamped with musical rehearsals, jazz band, concerts, soccer games, advance placement work and examining…it's kind of nuts.** **I'm sure college will just be thrilling. *dripping sarcasm***

**Anyway, here's the update? I know it's kind of short, and I'm sorry, but this is the transition to the third and final section of the story arch, so they aren't really any chapter's like this ('fillers', if you know what I mean, or 'transition chapters') in the rest of the story. Luckily, the end of the year is neigh, and after I take my AP US History exam Wednesday, soccer will be over and my school work should let up a bit. Then I just have one more jazz concert to prepare for, and I should have ample time to write until finals! *confetti***

**Although I also got a job at a summer camp this summer, which is awesome, but means I'll be in Wisconsin working all through July and half of August and won't have my laptop…so I'll be writing in a notebook by a lake, which is a great, calming and inspiring setting for writing but…updates will be infrequent…sorry. *confetti dwindles***

**But I finished my outline! *confetti returns* Copy is fully outlined, chapter by chapter! And most of the dialogue, too, so that'll make chapters go that much faster.**

**Sooo, yeah, update on the future just as a quick PSA if you had been cursing my name for not updating. Sorry!**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS TOO YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS MEANS TO ME AND MY FUTURE AS I PERSUE WRITING LIKE SERIOUSLY YOUR FEEDBACK IS QUITE LITERALLY THE BEST THING EVER AND SO ENCOURAGING I LOVE YOU ALL THANK YOU FOR READING! *immense confetti appears in your room***

**Enjoy!)**

Toby didn't really know what to do now.

For the boy who always had a plan and hated not having something in his hands, he had no idea what to busy himself with. Everything that had been flying through his mind to dabble in had mysteriously disappeared when the whole Astro affair had exploded.

_Astro affair._ Is that what he was calling it now? He'd only talked to his robot twin for maybe a half hour. In all practical aspects of the situation, he barely knew the kid.

But the time conversing didn't exactly matter. What _did _matter was that Astro had his memories – _all _of them – and he was the closest Toby had ever gotten to having a brother…even if it had been more of a fantasy in a few days of hoping than a reality.

So yeah, he'd hoped. Yeah, he'd admit it. He'd hoped that Cora's crazy plans – plans _plural_ – would work. He'd admit that before all that he'd been jealous of Astro and his fame and his devoted (albeit totally _nuts) _Surface girl. But he'd changed his mind. Not by getting to know Astro, per se, but blissfully indirectly.

He'd changed his mind by seeing the affect one dinky little robot born of pain can have.

He wasn't one to be sappy, but he wasn't blind. Astro had transformed people's lives in a fraction of the amount of time Toby had been alive. Heck, it shouldn't even be considered a _fraction _the number was so small! Astro'd been alive for, what – two, three days before Toby'd popped unceremoniously back into the fray? And in that time he'd instigated a revolutionary step forward emotionally with his father (no easy feat,) created a bond with Elefun, brought about the adoptions of an entire orphanage, reunited a lost girl with her parents, acquired fierce and undying loyalty, friendship and love, saved the whole of Metro City, overthrew a dictator, became a celebrity/superhero, raised a robot from the dead and even turned an enemy into a friend.

And where had he ended up? That great hero that everyone loved and who had become so significant in such a small, insignificant amount of time?

Oh yeah. He'd landed in a pile of spare parts on the Surface: torn to pieces, memories ripped from his helpless brain and body hopelessly dismembered.

Toby's fingernails scratched the expensive leather of the limousine's armrest as his left hand curled into a fist. Orrin's head tilted toward him at the sound, but he continued to drive without a word.

The anger that suddenly gripped his heart like talons was unfamiliar to him, but familiar in another. His face in the review mirror was screwed up into an expression of pure rage and disgust – mostly with himself.

It was a look he'd seen on Cora's face too often.

He understood it now, that anger. Because where was he, Toby Tenma? He'd been alive - what, thirteen years now? And what had he done with his life? He'd created dangerous toys of mass destruction for his own entertainment. He went to school and openly flouted his intelligence and turned the entire student body against him. He'd consistently rewired his housebot - possibly his only friend - for his own gain. He openly discriminated against robots in public, disobeyed orders that almost got him killedand was damn lazy as lard, stupidly rich, stuck up and ignorant and useless and –

Thirteen years, and he'd done nothing with it but gel his hair and make himself into a cocky fool while his robot double made himself into the noblest being he'd ever heard an inkling of in three days.

Toby wasn't sure he'd ever figure out what sort of freak mixture of displaced grief and pure energy created that sort of humanity from a tangle of wires and metal, but he doubted he'd ever see anything else quite like it. Astro was one in a million.

Had. Had been.

Orrin made a startled sound and Toby realized he'd punched the back of the driver's seat - hard. His knuckle stung from the blow and Orrin's chair had rocked forward considerably. They'd jolted a little over to the right in their lane.

Toby hadn't even remembered moving. It must not have even been a thought that had crossed his mind, just a reflex. An outlet, for the rage boiling inside him that he had no idea how to tether down.

Again, Orrin continued on without a mention of the incident and Toby was grateful. He'd explained what had happened briefly to the housebot when he'd called for a ride. The silver robot had been shaken but mostly somber, like he'd already gone through mourning…if that was something he was capable of. Toby supposed if anyone understood, Orrin did.

He knew his dad wouldn't, though, and that was the worst part. His father had done this all for him – _him!_ – and caused himself and Cora and Zane and Astro so much pain. And all to try to get things back the way it had been. But Toby knew that that wasn't possible. It couldn't be, not after what had happened, both on his father's end and his. Astro may be gone, but he was far from erased. If anything, the wedge between him and his father had grown, not shrunk.

There seemed to be finality in that thought. An ending.

The End.

The car hadn't moved in a while and Toby looked up from his shaking hands to find they were home. Orrin was floating just outside his door, looking through the window at him sadly.

He opened the door. "I'm sorry, Master Toby," he said softly.

Toby made a face. "For what, Orrin?" he asked. "You shouldn't be sorry. Not for anything."

"No," Orrin sighed. "Not that kind of sorry."

He wheeled away before Toby could even register what he meant.

Toby hesitated on the edge of the limo seat for a moment, his fingers still hovering over where his fingernails had scratched the leather.

He really didn't want to go in the house. He was a mess, and he knew it, and he had a bad feeling his father was just as bad. Something inside him told him any conversation with his father right now would end in disaster, and he wasn't sure what part of him that was: heart or brain. He didn't seem to know much of anything lately.

But he couldn't sit here and wallow forever. With an inborn sigh and a big breath, he left the limo behind and ascended the garage stairs zombie-like. Half way up he realized he forgot to close the limo door and the garage was still open.

For some reason Toby hoped some street bum snuck in and stole it.

He continued up the stairs and opened the door with heavy limbs.

"Dad?" he called hesitantly.

~O~

Zane had all but destroyed his room.

Granted, there wasn't a lot it in yet. He'd only moved in to the Sable's apartment less than a week ago, and he hadn't exactly had much stuff to move in with. A table of discarded robot parts was nestled in the corner for him to fiddle with, and his tool belt hung next to it. A couple pictures of him and Cora and the other kids taken from the busted camera he'd fixed up where tacked to a bulletin board. The one with all of them and ZOG was in the middle, Astro smiling happily at him from their masterpiece.

Everything else had been standard, courtesy of the Sable's. A plain blue bedspread and sheet, lamp and a metal desk with a standard holo-computer.

That all had been left intact. It held no meaning to him.

The robot parts, however, had been ripped apart to the very basic gears and strewn around his room like garbage. His tool belt was completely ravaged, and tools were thrown everywhere. There were some chips in the wallpaper from where he'd chucked the majority of them or even flat out punched the wall. A hammer dent was clearly visible in the plaster. That was probably enough to get them evicted, but Zane couldn't bring himself to care.

The bulletin board itself had been completely torn off the wall and laid on the floor, the pictures each individually ripped from its surface. The one with ZOG had been rived in half; a jagged line splitting Astro's smiling face with finality.

And it was final. Astro was gone. Dead.

The End.

Hands shaking with rage and pain, Zane collapsed to his knees on the carpet and cried.

He'd tried. He'd tried so hard – to be the strong one, the man. He'd been there for Cora, he'd kept his head, he'd helped in every way he possibly could.

But it hadn't been enough.

The torn picture stared up at him mockingly.

Things would never be what they once were, and Zane would never be enough.

~O~

Cora was pretty sure she might get her family evicted.

Bits of lined paper drifted in flurries from her balcony as she furiously ripped pages from her journal into little pieces and threw them over the rail. From the balcony windows below it probably looked like it was snowing in the middle of April.

She couldn't bring herself to care. At all. In fact, having any sort of emotion for longer than a couple seconds seemed to be difficult at the moment.

The emotions seemed to flit in and out of her heart like butterflies. Rage, grief, sorrow, dread – half the time, they were gone before she could even begin to identify them and it left her with a hollow, empty feeling in the pit of her stomach. Part of her wanted to just lie in bed and sleep for the rest of her life.

She'd cried, yeah. She'd expected to cry, and grieve. But in a way, she felt she'd already gone through grieving. Losing him so many times over in such a small _span_ of time…she wasn't sure how much a human heart was meant to take.

She hadn't been sure what would come after the crying, but when there were finally no more tears to be had, she wasn't all that surprised when the hollow pit of emptiness fell upon her. She wasn't sure what she had expected. Peace? Let's get real.

So she'd just lied there. For hours, days – she didn't really know. In a way, it felt like centuries; because her mind was just so…empty. All the swirling thoughts and hopes she'd had were just…gone. Any sort of future she'd had in mind was out the window and now she was left looking into the darkness.

Her mother thought she was being dramatic.

With the thought, Cora ripped three pages out at once and destroyed them in a fit of rage. _Dramatic. _That was even the word she'd used. How _dare _she? Astro had been her friend, one of her very best, and her feelings for him had been no phase or sham. She had no right to even speak his _name_.

Let alone say what she actually said.

"_Cora," her mother had gasped when she'd burst through the door a wreck, Zane barely supporting her with tears streaking his own cheeks. "What happened?"_

_Cora wasn't sure what she had blubbered. Probably something along the lines of 'he' and 'gone' or 'dead', because her mother's face turned from that of concern to a twist of grim satisfaction and parental sternness. She quickly tried to mask it with empathy, but it only made the knot in Cora's stomach twist tighter._

"_Oh, Cora," she'd exclaimed, wrapping her in a hug as she should, but it felt tainted. "Shhh, it's okay. I'm here."_

"_S'not okay!" Cora had slurred. "He's g-gone…"_

"_Shhh, it's for the best," her mother had whispered to her. "We all knew it would happen eventually. It was just a matter of time."_

_She couldn't really remember what she'd done then, just the swell of inhuman rage in her chest as she ripped herself from her mother's arms and made a break for her room._

Her hands still shook with anger at the memory, fresh as an open wound in her mind. Her Mom had knocked on her door a while ago and asked to speak with her, but Cora hadn't answered. Nothing she had to say was worth hearing right now.

_Just a matter of time. _Another page down to the sidewalk below. _We all knew it would happen eventually. _Two more pages.

How dare she. _How dare she! _She was wrong, dead wrong. It hadn't been inevitable. Of course they hadn't seen it coming…

_But hadn't they?_ The little voice of questioning still echoed in the back of her mind unwillingly. Hadn't it always been an option, a possible future? She'd hoped for the best, wished it, but society hadn't lived up to her expectations. People couldn't just get over their bias like she and Zane and Toby did. No, they were _far _too blind and it cost them a hero. That, and the stupidity of a mislead and seriously twisted father.

Six pages in one. New record.

Cora was going to _kill _Bill Tenma.

Well, maybe not kill. She huffed into the chilly air, and her breath fogged. Kill was a strong word. But that man deserved some repercussions for his actions and Cora was going to make sure those repercussions were serious. This time around she could not let him off the line. This…this was one screw up too many.

Too many…too much. Everything was too much. With a strangled sob, Cora chucked the whole journal overboard with a mighty flick of her arm and turned to sprint back to her bed before she saw it fall. She collapsed on her pink bedspread just as a new fit of tears hit.

She cried for a while. Maybe even slept. She'd long ago stopped caring about the time.

Either way, she awoke drooling over her tear-stained pillow some time later to crashing sounds coming from Zane's room and a small stab from something in her satchel. She hadn't even realized she'd neglected to take it off and with numb hands she undid the latch to see what it was that was bothering her so she could get back to wallowing in pain.

Her hands grazed cold metal and from the depths of the bag she retrieved her old pocket knife.

Another flitting emotion danced around in her chest for a second before disappearing just like all the others.

Zane had found this for her, back on the Surface long ago. She'd kept it sharp and on her person ever since.

She flicked the blade open and admired the shine it had in the light.

She couldn't help but let the thought run through her mind.

_Did he contemplate it too? How easy it would be? Just…_

She swung the blade evenly. That's all it would take. One slice for her, one yank for him. And then all the pain was gone.

She looked into the blade like a mirror for a moment, her blue eyes reflecting back at her.

She could do it. Right here, right now.

The End.

_Ding –dong, ding-dong, ding-dong!_

The urgent and unexpected sound of the doorbell made Cora jump and the tip of her blade just missed her left palm. Scared out of her depression and curious despite herself, Cora closed the blade and threw it back in her bag - just as the lock on her door clicked and the door busted open.

Toby Tenma stood shakily in her doorway with spikes disheveled and brown eyes bloodshot. An old-fashioned bent paperclip from jimmying her lock fell unceremoniously from his hand.

The sight of him made her heart bleed. For a second, just a second, she'd thought –

But no. Of course not.

She flinched as Toby stumbled into her room, her mother yelling nonsensically at him from behind. He paid no attention to her.

"Cora – " he started, but was promptly cut off by a pillow to the face.

"Go away!" Cora screamed, unsure of where the strength in her voice had come from but far from caring. She just couldn't bear to see his face anymore. "Go away! I never want to see you again, Toby Tenma! And tell your Dad he's a heartless murderer and I'm going to – "

"Cora!" Toby tried, but Cora just shouted over him.

"GIVE HIM WHAT HE DESERVES!" Cora exploded. "I'LL GIVE HIM WHAT HE DESERVES FOR DOING WHAT HE DID, I'LL – I'LL – "

"YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING!" Toby roared suddenly, brown eyes flashing with uncharacteristic rage.

Cora was stunned dumbly into silence, staring at Toby with wide blue eyes.

Toby took a deep breath as he tried to reign in his temper. "Cora," he said choppily, his voice hoarse from strain. His brown eyes –Astro's eyes – bore holes straight into her soul.

"It's my father," he choked out. "He's missing."


	20. The Real Machine

**(A/N: Hey look! Quick update! Aren't you proud? *confetti returns* Having this finished outline is literally a life saver…**

**Anyway this is where things pick up. Thanks for the reviews, SERIOUSLY. 356, DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH THIS MAKES ME SQUEAL YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND LOVE!**

**Enjoy!)**

In a rush, the emotions were back and Cora didn't know what to do with them. For a second, she just stared at Toby with her mouth agape, observing the frantic flashes of raw terror and jumbled calculating in his eyes that she'd become so familiar with in her own.

She swallowed thickly, momentarily forgetting how to speak. "What do you mean 'missing'?"

"I mean _missing, _Cora!" Toby exploded, waving his arms around in meaningless motions as he attempted to use his fear-driven energy. "He's gone! Kidnapped, dead, I don't know – "

"Hold on, hold on," Cora tried, putting a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to ground him. For once, she found herself as the rational one. Weird. "Get a grip! How do you know he didn't just go out, or isn't just at the Ministry?"

Toby leveled a glare at her that wasn't really warranted. "He said he was coming home to see me," he hissed. "You heard him. No way he'd go back to the Ministry, and anyway, I checked, and he hasn't been in. And the house was unlocked when I got there, and it never is, and his desk has been ransacked and it's _always _pristine and the window was open and it never is and – "

"Yo!" Cora interrupted him, shaking him furiously to get his attention. Was this what she was like when she was crazed? "Slow down! Maybe he was just upset. I mean, he should be, considering he just fu – "

"This has nothing to do with _Astro_!" Toby erupted, correctly predicating what she was about to say and seeming furious Cora would ever consider that as a possibility. "Cora, _my father has been kidnapped! _Even Orrin thinks so! He detected foreign substances in the carpet, and he's running them now, but he said he thinks it might chloroform."

_Chloroform. _Even Cora could hardly convince herself that it might be a remnant of some sort of experiment. Chloroform meant someone wanted Tenma, alive and uninjured. But _why_?

She could see the panic rising in Toby's eyes and forced herself to keep her head.

"Was any money missing?" she asked, keeping her voice calm. "Anything expensive?" The Tenma's easily had the wealthiest penthouse in the city, and if the kidnappers had wanted Tenma to ransom him for money, they'd probably not hesitate to nab any valuables they could locate.

But Toby shook his head. "The only thing that was touched was his desk. Everything else is pristine, and Orrin checked the house vault. Nothing's missing."

Cora frowned, trying to keep her facial expression neutral for Toby's sake. Inside though, her mind was whirling. She might be a newbie to the city, but she had had a heck of a lot of experience with human nature and she knew that nobody did anything as drastic as abduction without motive. If someone had _really_ kidnapped Tenma - and not for his wealth - the reason could _not _be good… not for the city, and certainly not for Toby.

Ten bucks said if someone wanted Bill Tenma, it was either because they had a serious grudge – something in which Cora could relate – or for his brains, and Cora doubted to use them for recreational purposes.

Although she highly doubted either of these harsh truths were really revelations that should be conveyed to Toby right now. The teenage genius looked to be at about the point of hysteria and Cora really questioned if he was thinking logically. That she could understand, at least. Panic does that to you.

Unfortunately, she also knew there was really nothing she could physically _do._ This one might be out of their hands.

She took a big breath. "Call the police," she instructed him firmly.

Toby blinked, the craze leaving his eyes for a moment in surprise. "What did you say?"

"Call the police," Cora repeated, leveling him with a serious look. "If your dad has really been kidnapped, that's the reasonable thing to do."

"But…wait, hold on," Toby trailed, waving his hand at her. "You want me to call the _police?"_

"You heard me fine," Cora stated, crossing her arms.

Toby frowned, a mix of fear and hurt shinning in his features. "When Astro went missing you stopped at nothing to find him," he whispered. "You never considered going to the god-forsaken _police."_

"Astro is –" Cora began, chocking on the word 'is'. The name was still painful. "_Was _a government-owned robot. What we were trying to do was illegal. The police couldn't have helped."

"Even if they could've it wouldn't have changed anything, would it?" Toby asked, an added edge to his tone. Almost accusatory. "You still would have gone to the same measures to find him."

"Toby, I…" Cora trailed, unsure of just where she was going with that answer. Because of course she would have. She had to. For Astro, she couldn't _not. _

Toby didn't seem to really need her answer. He knew it anyway; it was written all over her face. "That's what I thought," he whispered, eyes downcast. He sounded almost disappointed, wounded and – angry. "It's only when it's someone _you _care about that it matters."

A chill ran through Cora as she realized just what Toby was accusing her of,and the cold look he was giving her suddenly made sense.

"No!" she snapped quickly, jumping to the defensive on instinct, as always. "No, that's not true. I do care." But even as the words left her mouth they rang hollow.

The insincerity was not lost on Toby's sharp mind either, and the coldness in his brown eyes deepened. It seemed to drive another spike deep into Cora's heart and made her wonder just when she'd given him that power over her.

Not that it mattered anymore. She could already see him recoiling from her and their small but significant connections withering.

"Toby – " she started, but Toby simply cut her off.

"No, I get it," he clipped bitterly. "I do. He's not _your _father. Not _your _family, or _your _friend. You _hate_ him. Why would you want to help him?"

"I don't ha – " she tried, but Toby just talked over her.

"Don't _lie," _he hissed. "You do. You hate him. And maybe you should. He screwed up, Cora, big time and I know." He paused for a beat, closing his eyes and taking a big breath. "I do know. But – "

"But _what, _Toby?" Cora exploded, the anger and hurt suddenly bursting forth at Toby's cold accusations. She was tired of their sting and sick of trying to keep her head. Neither ever seemed to do her any good. "What do you want me to _do? _You're father's missing, yeah, I got that. But why come to _me? _What do you think I _am, _a _superhero? _I don't know where he is, or who kidnapped him, and even if I did, I wouldn't be able to help!"

"You could t_ry!" _Toby screamed right back, and his tone chilled Cora to the core. She hadn't heard Toby _or _Astro ever yell at her like that. "At the very least _try."_

His voice broke one the last word and he sniffed, eyes bugged bloodshot and red as he attempted to hold back angry tears. "You know what, Cora?" he rasped, pointing a condemning finger at her. "When I first met you, I thought you were different than other girls. You seemed stronger, smarter, and I was right, you _were. _When you fought off those three guards so I could get the Core, I've never seen anyone so brave or determined. I was so in _awe_ of you then, did you know that? I was."

Cora choked on the words she had been prepared to fire, double-taking at Toby's sudden change in direction. Sentences suddenly escaped her, and her mouth flapped uselessly.

Toby just scoffed, shaking his head. "I can't _believe _you," he whispered. "I thought – I _really _thought, then – that I'd found someone who would face anything, _anything, _and do what needs to be done, no matter the hurdles."

"Toby – " Cora tried, but Toby just steamrolled right over her.

"I _thought,_" he spat, advancing on her a step and making Cora stumble backwards. He looked truly murderous. "I thought that you really _were_ the most selfless person I'd ever met. But I couldn't have been more _wrong, _could I?"

He laughed coldly, not an inkling of humor visible in his young features. He stared at the wood of her door frame intently, gripping it with white knuckles. "No, you're just a selfish teenager just like the rest of us," he breathed. "Just thinking of your own happiness."

He scoffed again, looking up and meeting her blue eyes with broken brown ones.

"He's my _father, _Cora," he seethed. "And I can't just leave his life in the hands of the good-for-nothing _law enforcement_."

He let go of the banister, turning on his heel.

"Enjoy your sniveling, _princess_."

And then he was gone, just like that. Out of the hall, through the kitchen - and his mother was screaming at him. "Good riddance, you _machine!_" her shrill voice rang. "Leave my daughter alone!"

"If anyone is the machine, s_he _is!" Toby shot back, and then the door slammed loudly, rattling the walls just as Toby's words rattled her bones._  
><em>

He was gone.

Cora collapsed a tad against the door frame, gripping it just as Toby had, but not from anger anymore, just from pain. The tears had returned, and before she knew it she had sunk back down to the floor and wrapped her arms around herself. She was back to sniveling again. What a wreck she was.

She heard footsteps approaching and hoped to God it was Zane. She needed someone with sense right now.

But of course she wasn't that lucky.

Her mother bent down to her level and her concerned face came into Cora's vision, blurry from her tears. If anything, her presence made her heart sink that much lower.

Not that her mom understood that. Instead, she stroked Cora's shaking hand gently. "What is it, Cora?" she whispered. "What happened? What did that filthy machine do to you?"

She almost laughed. She kind of did, really, although it came out more of a choke. "Wasn't a robot, mom," she slurred. "'t was Toby."

Her mother blinked in surprise, and her grip tightened. "Toby?" she repeated. "Toby Tenma?"

Cora was too exhausted to answer, so she just nodded. Energy was wasted on her mother.

"But I thought he died," she said, confused. "It was all over the news."

Cora rolled her eyes, using the hand not having its circulation cut off to wipe away her tears. "He didn't die," she tried to explain. The full story was much to exhausting to tell right now. "Mistake."

"Oh," her mother frowned for a moment, before brightening. "But hey, that's good right? He's human! He's better than that robot could ever be. Real feelings."

This time, Cora did laugh - bitterly. "Feelings!" she moaned. "Feelings are stupid and I don't know why Astro ever wanted them. They just tear you apart, piece by piece, until there is nothing left but pain. And then it isn't worth being human anymore."

Her mother stared at her in horror for a long moment. "Cora," she reprimanded her sternly. "Why would you ever say something like that?"

"Because it's true," Cora sighed, wrenching her arm from her mom's grip and pushing herself back to her feet. "'m going to go talk to Zane."

"Cora – " her mother started, but Cora had already opened Zane's bedroom door and slipped inside, effectively cutting her mother's annoying voice off with the click of the door.

She hadn't known what she had expected to see inside. Maybe Zane sleeping, or sniveling in a corner like she'd been doing. Not _this._

The whole room was ransacked, things literally tossed everywhere and the plaster of one wall almost completely decimated. The bedside table and the bed itself seemed to be the only things intact, the clock dutifully telling her it was six in the evening. The angry screams and crashing Cora had thought she had heard earlier suddenly made sense, and she wondered why she hadn't put that all together then. She must have been really out of it.

She scanned the room, but Zane was nowhere to be seen and the large window on the far wall was open, cold air seeping in. She made to close it on reflex, but stopped when she spotted a piece of paper lying on Zane's tool desk, untouched by the rage-driven destruction of the room. Writing was visible on it, and Cora moved closer.

Snatching it up, she easily identified Zane's untidy scrawl on an old sheet of lined paper.

_Cora, _it read. _Got angry. Went out on hoverboard. Don't wait up._

_Zane_

She put the paper back down gently, allowing herself a small smile on how long it must have taken Zane to write that. He'd only been receiving writing and reading lessons for a few days; this was pretty advanced for him.

The smile quickly melted, however, and Cora up righted Zane's desk chair and collapsed onto it, burying her face in her hands. The hopelessness washed over her like a wave.

_Was this how her life was going to go now? _

One crushing disappointment after another. Forever pulverizing her soul with each blow. That was her life.

She pulled her legs up to her chin and buried her head deeper into her hands, pressing against her eyes until she saw stars. She stayed like that for a while, mindlessly trying to press down the omnipresent pain.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there, listening to the silence, until she heard the beep.

She didn't look up right away, ignoring it for a beat as she vaguely wondered if there was any reason to move. It wasn't like there was anything moving _for – _nothing offered any hope for her anymore. But her curiosity got the better of her.

She stood and looked around. Somehow, through what had happened this morning and everything else after, night had fallen. She wasn't sure how many hours of dark, black pain that added up to and she didn't really care. It didn't matter.

Zane's room had fallen into darkness in that time and the chill from the open window had dropped the temperature a good couple of degrees. Cora shivered as she attempted to stretch her aching muscles. She had a nagging feeling she might have fallen asleep in that chair, judging by the crick in her neck.

The darkness brought to her attention the soft blue glow of Zane's phone on his bedside and Cora gravitated slowly toward it, tripping on discarded objects in her wake. She needed light; she couldn't see worth a darn.

Stubbing her toe on the bed, she cursed loudly before finding the nightstand lamp and turning it on. Collapsing on Zane's comforter, she massaged her throbbing foot gingerly as she picked up the little idiot's phone, figuring it was probably him calling. Knowing Zane, he'd lost or broken his hoverboard, realized he'd forgotten his phone and pickpocketed some unfortunate blokes to call his phone in hopes she'd answer.

Well, it was his lucky day because she was answe –

Cora's hand froze on the phone's unlock button, her blood turning to ice.

A new text message was displayed on Zane's phone, but it wasn't some unknown number with a message from Zane begging her to go pick him up.

No, instead it was from _'Toby'_, and the message read, _Zane, when you get this, don't tell Cora but –_

It cut off, not showing her the full message until she unlocked the phone and opened the actual text. With fumbling, twitching hands, Cora quickly unlocked the phone, almost dropping it in the process.

The full message materialized slowly.

_Zane, when you get this, don't tell Cora but my father's been kidnapped and I've gone to find him. I hacked into his computer, and a message from Elefun came in. The Ministry of Science appears to have just gone into shutdown on its own accord. No one can get in, and no one knows why and according to Elefun the last shipment that was brought in was –_

Astro. Cora didn't even have to read the last couple words of the sentence. She knew what they said.

Astro's decommissioned shell was locked in the Ministry of Science which had just locked by itself from the inside mysteriously. And Dr. Tenma was missing.

Her breathing was shallow and she was blinking repeatedly, unsure of just how to respond.

Slowly, the pain in her stomach was ebbing away and being steadily replaced with fear and something else she was familiar with – adrenaline.

_I think my father's disappearance might be involved. I'm going there now. Meet me on the corner of 5__th__ in the next hour if you want to help. Cora has refused, so leave her out of it. This is about saving my father's life now._

The time stamp read ten minutes ago. Cora's breath hitched in her throat as she stared at it, eyes glistening over the words one more time.

Then she was on her feet, out the door and back in her room in record time.

Adrenaline was coursing steadily through her veins, thankfully replacing the dull ache of hopelessness and reviving her stiff muscles. Grabbing her satchel up, she threw Zane's phone inside and slung it over her shoulder before vaulting over her bed in one fair leap. The movement never felt so good.

She couldn't help but even smile a bit as she reached under her bed and retrieved her _own _hoverboard – a secret present from her dad. The sleek black finish with dancing flames made her grin.

Straightening, she flipped up her hood and faced her window with a serious face, unlatching the glass door and stepping into the cool evening air hesitantly.

The city spanned out before her, dancing in the artificial light just like it had that night, what felt like several lifetimes ago.

Balancing her hoverboard on the rail, Cora jumped on top of it and strapped her Converse securely in. Any hesitance was roughly shaken away.

"You can't have an adventure without me, Toby Tenma," she whispered, before pushing off the rail with one powerful thrust of her legs.

The light blurred as she fell, just like they had before.

But this time it was _her _that was in control.

The hover-technology kicked into gear and Cora set the board on course for the Ministry of Science.

Murderer or not, she wasn't letting Tenma die.

Not when she still had a piece of her mind to dish out to him.


	21. Only Human

**(A/N: I'm not going to bother with excuses this time, as I totally had time to write this one, I just kept failing. I rewrote it and procrastinated on it several times because I just didn't really want to write it. I don't know why, I just want to skip ahead a few chapters to some of the stuff I've been excited to write for a while and just wasn't feeling this chapter, you know? **

**But I finally forced myself to get on with it, and when I got going, like usual, I couldn't stop and now I'm fairly happy with it. Hopefully you guys are too!**

**Man, twenty one chapters! How far we've come! And **_**369 reviews, **_**holy shmoly when did that happen!? You guys friggin' rock! So sorry I take so long. I suck.**

**Enjoy!)**

Everything was black, he could remember nothing.

Slowly, light. A man's face, staring down at him. Holding a hammer.

Then pain. Pain unlike anything he'd ever endured before.

And he was screaming.

~O~

Toby was starting to worry he might be on his own.

He tried to tell himself that was okay. It would be okay, wouldn't it? He didn't need Zane. He didn't need _anybody, _and he especially didn't need the likes of Cora, no matter how much her help might be warranted.

Because she wouldn't help. She was a selfish little Surface junkie who only cared about herself and her own goals. When it was about Astro, all the guns were out. When it was about his _father…_the well had dried right up.

But that was okay. Totally okay. Toby didn't need help, because he had never needed help before. The fact that he had sort of had friends for a day didn't matter.

Nope. He wasn't even upset.

He shuffled his feet and checked the time on his holo-pad again, ignoring the swirling dial that meant his hacking programs were failing to break into the Ministry of Science. Whatever lockdown had been initiated was not going to be easily brought down, even by him. It figured really. Toby had a bad feeling his father probably designed it.

He taped the screen lightly, zooming in and then back out again for no particular reason, leaning against the large sales bulletin he'd taken refuge by. Its lights flickered and changed colors as it switched between each advertisement. Three minutes. Zane had three minutes.

_VURKOOM. _

Toby started a bit and looked up just in time to see the butt of a black, skull-and-flame patterned hoverboard slip over his head and get hit with the pungent smell of its organic, blue waste. He puckered his nose distastefully.

Zane.

"Nice ride," Toby complimented him as he blinked rapidly, trying to rid his eyes of the sunspots the board's blue fire had given him. "Love the custom. Thanks for coming on such short notice by the way, it's kinda – "

He cut off rather quickly as the board touched down and clicked off, leaving Zane to turn around and look at him.

Except it wasn't Zane.

He must have sworn because she smirked at him.

Cora.

"What the Hell are _you_ doing here?" he growled, quickly stuffing his holo-pad into the inner pocket of his leather jacket and scowling menacingly at her.

Cora sniffed, looking fairly unfazed. She crossed her arms. "Nice jacket," she said.

Toby had to stop himself before he accidently thanked her. He was pissed. Couldn't forget that. "I asked you a question."

"Yeah, I know, and I ignored it," Cora said, stalking forward uninvited and picking up one side of his jacket curiously. "Seriously, this real leather?"

"Hey, no touching!" Toby exclaimed, yanking himself out of her grip and smoothing his jacket self-consciously. "And yeah, it is, actually."

Cora sniffed again, crossing her arms with a hint of sass and grinning at him. "Rich boy."

Toby felt heat creep into his cheeks. "Why are you here, Cora? I called Zane, not you."

"He left his phone," Cora said easily, slipping the said contraption out of her pocket and waving it at him sarcastically. "So I answered instead. And if you're wondering, this is my board, not Zane's. Skulls are _my_ thing."

Toby's eyes flickered to the sleek custom paint in interest, before putting his face back into a steely mask and crossing his own arms. "Whatever," he said lamely. "You can fly it back to your dumb apartment right now because I don't need your help."

"Really?" Cora said dryly, raising an eyebrow. "So your urgent text to Zane was just a social call."

Toby's face flushed again and he tried in vain to get a hold of himself. "His help would have been appreciated," he admitted, raising his chin a little. "But I'm perfectly capable of handling this on my own and I certainly don't need _you."_

"Right," Cora nodded with a clear roll of her eyes. With a flick of her foot she brought her hoverboard to her hand and stashed it out of sight behind the bulletin board. "And I'm the president of Metro City." She sighed, running a hand through her short, highlighted hair before leaning against the board languidly.

"Look, Toby," she said, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Toby raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"

Her eyes snapped back open. "I'm _sorry, _okay?" she emphasized, looking rather annoyed for having to re-apologize. "For everything I said back in the apartment. You were right. I was being selfish."

Toby laughed humorlessly. "I'll say."

"Seriously, Toby," Cora said forcefully, taking a step closer to him. "I'm actually sorry. I was being narrow minded, okay? I'm only human."

Something stirred in Toby's stomach a bit suddenly. Something icky, something he'd suppressed for a while, brought on by those three words.

"So am _I_, Cora," he whispered menacingly, and the words came from his gut, his subconscious. Not him. "Astro _isn't_. But sometimes I think you get that flipped around."

Cora stopped dead in her tracks; hurt flashing in her blue eyes. "Astro _is_ human," she choked out weakly.

"Not more than I am," Toby argued, and this time his face was flushed more with pain than anger, but there was some of that too. A trace of venom. "So stop treating me like _I'm_ the robot, okay?"

Cora's eyes flashed and Toby waited for the barbed-tongue retort.

But there wasn't one. "Okay."

Toby started a bit. "Sorry?'

"Okay," Cora sighed, shaking her head and running a hand through her bangs again. "Okay, I'll…I'll stop treating you like…like a robot. Sorry."

Toby swallowed. "Forgiven," he strangled.

Cora's eyes snapped up. "For real?"

"For real," Toby agreed, smiling weakly even as his voice broke. "Just…let's just save my dad, okay?"

Cora nodded and this time it was genuine. "Okay."

"Cool," Toby said. Then he jumped off the building.

Cora's scream reverberated above him and he grinned as he rolled easily out of the loaded dumpster and onto the concrete.

He looked up. Cora peered back down at him with wide blue eyes.

"Thought I was suicidal?" he called.

"I _hate_ you!" Was the response, before there was a flying streak of purple, green and blue and Cora had joined him.

"We have to find Elefun," Toby told her, stalking off the moment she hit the ground.

She matched his stride easily. "Where is he?"

"Well, the Ministry of Science is in complete lockdown," Toby informed her, bringing them onto the main intercity street before back into another alleyway. "I've been trying to hack it for the past twenty minutes with no avail. I can't get past the lockdown procedures, but the log does say that the building had been completely clear of personal, so I bet Elefun's home."

"And where does he live?" Cora asked as the two of them reappeared on a new street, one Cora didn't recognized. "I assumed it would be more by your…penthouse, or whatever."

But Toby shook his head. "Nah," he said, smiling. "Elefun always did prefer modesty."

He came to a sudden stop in front of a shady-looking, rundown metal one-story. Cora had to backtrack, having walked right past it.

She gawked at the rusted, tiny door. "Elefun lives _here?"_

"I know, right?" Toby laughed, eyes glinting with nerdy obsession. "Genius, really. If anyone wanted to come after him, they'd never find him. Totally inconspicuous. You could do anything, and I mean _anything _here, and the government would never be able to hunt you down."

He walked forward and knocked loudly. It reverberated the whole house's frame.

Cora was still gawking. "But if you know where he is," she said slowly. "So does Tenma. And the Ministry too, right? They'd be able to find him?"

Toby shook his head. "Nah," he grinned. "Sure, my Dad knows, but the Ministry doesn't. Elefun refused to tell them his address. They were furious, of course, but…well, he's a genius scientist, and they couldn't just fire him. They'd lose a ton of money if they did."

_SWUNK. _The door slid open suddenly and Elefun's overly large nose peeked through. Blue eyes surveyed them suspiciously before widening in recognition.

"Toby?" he exclaimed.

"And Cora," Toby confirmed, smiling at him. "Can we come in? It's about the Ministry lockdown."

"Of course, m'boy, right away, right away!" Elefun rushed, opening the door fully and ushering the two of them in quickly. He checked the street both ways conspicuously before disappearing inside himself.

He was still in his lab coat, so he didn't look any different to Cora, but his living quarters told a starkly different story. She gaped openly at the large mishmash of tech that spattered the whole of the place. There was no sort of house-like objects at all, not even a couch. A TV was plastered to the wall, on and displaying the news on mute, but it was largely outdated and Cora had a feeling Elefun wasn't one for watching more than documentaries.

The whole place actually reminded her much of the Surface. Its disorderly array was almost homey, but she couldn't focus on that now. Instead, she followed Elefun on his stubby legs as he led her and Toby into another room, jabbering away.

" – complete emergency shutdown, lights still on but all the systems unreachable and all doors locked. Even physical keys are ineffective; God knows what could have set _that _code into play. Your Dad designed it, you know, but you need serious mojo to set it off. He's not answering his phone, either, not that he usually does but this is an emergency and I'd have thought he'd call me by now, especially with Stone on the loose and all, he may be involved, who knows, who knows, and – "

"Elefun," Toby stopped the man gently as Elefun sat down, flustered, on his computer chair in front of an impressive array of monitors. They were in a steel, dome-shaped add-on, or at least Cora guessed. It was more or less the same as Elefun's office in the Ministry of Science, if not even more high-tech, if that was even possible. It looked like it, but Cora wasn't the one to confirm such things.

"My Dad is missing," Toby explained, his face grave. "When I went home, he was nowhere to be found, and then I found out about the lockdown."

Elefun's face immediately grew into that of horror. "Tenma's missing?" he choked.

"He only ever goes two places," Toby confirmed solemnly. "One's empty and the other in lockdown. I can do the math."

Elefun looked a tad panic-stricken and he began to sway back and forth a little bit in his chair. Cora began to wonder if she should get him a paper bag to throw up in. "Do you think…" he breathed. "Stone…?"

"I don't know," Toby admitted, leaning against the computer table and looking vexed. He squeezed his hands in and out of fists. "Maybe. But does he have enough mojo to set off the lockdown sequence?"

Elefun shook his head. "No," he said, looking relieved. "No, he doesn't. Firepower. You need major firepower to set it off, and he just escaped jail. There haven't been any break-ins in the armory, he doesn't _have_ firepower."

"But someone must have gotten in," Cora argued, curling and uncurling her hands as well, but more from inaction than anything else. "A person has to set it off, right?"

"Or some sort of internal explosion," Elefun agreed. "But we would know that, there would be damage reports. Those aren't turned off by the lockdown."

There was a small silence between the three of them as they all tried to think up what the Hell they might be dealing with.

Suddenly, it hit Cora like a ton of ice bricks. That same ice poured into her veins. Pure panic. "Oh my God."

Two pairs of eyes flicked to her. "What?" Toby asked.

Cora's hands shook as she grabbed the computer table for support. "Firepower," she got out. "Like, if Stone busted in with the Peacekeeper? That would set it off?"

Elefun looked a bit befuddled by this question but he nodded. "It would need firepower matching the Peacekeeper to be triggered, yes," he confirmed. "Or an explosion worthy of a shot from the Peacekeeper."

"But the Peacekeeper's destroyed," Toby said slowly, furrowing his brow at her. "Stone can't possibly have used it."

"No," Cora agreed shakily, her gaze unfocused. "No, he can't have. But what do we know that holds the same amount of firepower as the Peacekeeper? And was just shipped into the Ministry not long ago?"

Both Toby and Elefun grew quickly pale.

_Oh._

"Could Stone have activated him?" Toby breathed.

"He wouldn't have even needed to," Elefun realized, putting a clammy hand up to clutch at his unruly grey hair. "All he would have needed was to sneak in with the guard's bringing Astro in and activate the panic button. Bringing in such a powerful robot…the shutdown sequence is ready made in the transaction, just in case something goes wrong before the robot reaches a secure lab."

"Stone," Toby wavered, knuckles white on the tables side. "Stone has my Dad?"

"And Astro," Cora gulped, horror coursing through her veins. "Oh my God, Stone's got him."

"We need to get into the Ministry," Elefun gasped. "But the shutdown can only be shut off from the inside, or by – "

"My father," Toby sighed.

"There's no way," Elefun lamented, slowly bringing his face into his hands and rubbing his head. "No way."

There was a deadly silence in which Cora almost collapsed into tears again, her chest racked by emotional pain. She didn't need this. Not again. Bring back the emptiness, please.

Suddenly, the whole room was filled with a deafening crash.

All eyes went to Toby, who was only half-standing, one hand still clutching the computer table and a littering of now-shattered motherboards surrounding his feet. His eyes were wide and glassy.

"Toby?" Elefun asked, concerned.

"Astro," Toby coughed, looking up to Elefun with unfocused eyes.

Elefun frowned. "What about him?" he pressed. "Toby, I do not understand – "

"Astro!" Toby repeated again, before laughing such a maniacal laugh Cora actually stepped back as the tinier Tenma lunged for Elefun's computer, pushing the little man and his wheely chair out of the way.

"_Whuff, _Toby, what in the w_orld – " _Elefun huffed as he struggled to regain control of his mobility. His legs were not quite long enough to reach the ground.

But Toby was paying him no attention. He'd stuck something into the computer and was typing furiously.

"Astro, Astro, Astro, Astro," he repeated again and again, a crazed look in his brown eyes that reflected his computer screen. "I_ have_ Astro!"

"Sorry, _what?" _Cora exclaimed, thoroughly confused. "Toby, just tell us what you're – "

"Blueprints!" Toby screamed, laughing as he whipped around suddenly, clutching his head and separating his gelled hair from their spikes, eyes bloodshot. "I have Astro's _blueprints_!"

Before his words even began to register, a map of Astro's insides popped up on the screen behind him.

It was Elefun that was laughing maniacally now and Cora was just staring at him in shock. He did. He did have Astro's blueprints. She had known that.

With purpose, Elefun stood up and wheeled his chair back to the computer and plopped himself back down, staring at the monitor screen like a child in a candy store. "Oh, this is beautiful!" he exclaimed. "How – "

"I got them a while ago," Toby rushed. "The important thing is he has a communication device in his ear. I saw the notes on it when I was sifting through it all earlier. Basically, looks like my Dad made identical ports in Astro's ears that he could access to hear what Astro is hearing. Same goes for his eyes."

"So basically, Astro's got a built in spy camera?" Cora confirmed.

"Yeah, basically," Toby confirmed, grinning with an unhinged look in his eyes as he began to type again. Elefun looked on with the same expression.

Cora was apparently the only one remotely horrified. "Don't you realize how messed _up _that is!?" she exclaimed. "Who even _does_ that, spy on their own kid!?"

"Um, every parent ever?" Toby answered. "Besides, what kind of parent makes a robot copy of his supposedly dead son?"

Cora had no answer for that. "It's still sick," she said stubbornly.

Toby merely shrugged. "I wouldn't complain," he said, typing rapidly again. "That sick, twisted move is our ticket into the Ministry."

With one final, dramatic key stroke, Toby stopped typing and a black window popped up.

Toby quickly enlarged it, eyes wide with anticipation.

"This is it?" Elefun rasped, his blue eyes mirroring Toby's.

"This is Astro's vision," Toby confirmed. "I'm completely in. This is what he's seeing, right now. Audio's coming in as we speak."

"His eyes are closed…?" Cora started at a whisper, but cut off as the monitor's speakers crackled and the distinct sound of footsteps could be heard through them.

The steps grew louder and closer before stopping suddenly, echoing, like in a warehouse.

Cora held her breath.

Slowly, disoriented, Astro's eyes flickered open. His vision – on the screen – spazzed a hazy, electric blue before he blinked again and everything focused.

Or actually, a face came into focus, looming above him.

Stone's face, smirking widely from the shoulder up.

And holding a large hammer.


	22. Personal Ties

**(A/N: So…hi. I've got an excuse this time. I've been working on my novel! **_***confetti***_** It's actually going really well. If you want to read a snippet…my PM may or may not be open… **_***cough***_** Just if you want.**

**Anyway, I'm not going to apologize for this. This is why I rated it T…**

**Just kidding, I'm going to apologize.**

**I'm so, **_**so **_**sorry.**

**Don't kill me?)**

Tenma woke up disoriented and with a throbbing pain on the back of his head. Groggy, discombobulated and not without significant hurt, he groaned and threw his shoulders back, blinking and trying to gain some sort of consciousness.

The first two things he noticed were that it was dark and that he couldn't move. He knew his eyes were open, so wherever he was, the lights were off and there were no windows to be had - and he was tied down to a chair. Judging by how his bindings cut into his skin and hurt pretty badly, he guessed they were wires. Wonderful.

_Where was he? _

There was a soft _click _and light flooded in immediately, making Tenma squeeze his eyes shut from the sudden retinal pain. When they'd recovered enough to open, he did, finding himself in a room he recognized greatly.

And a man he _also _recognized greatly.

_"Stone,"_ he rasped.

The former-President simply offered him a small smile as he gently covered the distance of the room and sauntered up to his trussed doctor, the former-General in tow.

"Hello, Dr. Tenma," he greeted lightly, hands laced diplomatically in front of him. He peered down at his captive with interest in his beady eyes. The close-cropped hair Tenma remembered was oddly longer and shaggy now, and his normal government-like wear had been replaced with government-issued navy prison wear. But that was the only difference. The taught shoulders and impeccable posture remained, as did the dangerous drawl. "We meet again, and on better terms."

"I wouldn't call this better," Tenma snapped, struggling against his bindings, but they held fast. He recognized them now. They were wire, but _his _wire. Left over from…

"What do you want with me?" he breathed, not wanting to think of it. It didn't matter. He couldn't break free, and he knew _exactly _where he was.

The lab.

_The _lab.

The cracked lab table was still there. Tenma vaguely wondered if anyone had even set foot in here since then... until now, that is.

If Stone knew what this room meant to him, he didn't let on. "I think you know exactly what I want with you, Tenma," Stone said evenly, waltzing just a couple steps closer. His steps echoed on the metal floor. "There is only ever been one thing I've ever wanted you for."

Tenma grimaced, knowing exactly of what Stone was referring. "I would think your time in prison, however short, might have taught you that your quest for power is pointless," he chided, attempting to maybe get a rise, or at least some discouragement. "The city doesn't want you as their leader, and it never will, not anymore."

To Tenma's surprise, the only reaction he got was a slight, irritated twitch of Stone's upper lip. Otherwise, he seemed unaffected, like the blow to his ideals and to his person didn't bother him in the slightest. Tenma's eyes widened involuntarily. This was not the Stone he remembered. Maybe prison _had _done something to him.

_Maybe it had only made his thirst for power stronger._

Stone began to pace lightly, softly - like he had all the time in the world. Tenma's eyes followed his feet uneasily, any sort of confidence in his situation shaken.

"I suppose you're right," Stone sighed suddenly, and Tenma flinched. "They don't want me for a leader anymore, do they?"

Tenma narrowed his eyes but Stone just shook his head sadly, General Heckler mirroring his actions from behind and still standing - as if not dishonorably discharged - with his hands laced behind him.

Stone stopped then, and Tenma's eyes flickered up to him with a tiny bit of fear.

"No," Stone agreed, and there was fire in his eyes of which Tenma had never seen. "They want _Logan. _Puny, little, jelly-for-a-spine _Logan. _How _stupid _the voters are!"

His voice had risen close to a roar, but he cooled it with almost skill, taking in a breath and closing his eyes for a beat, before straightening his posture and continuing his pacing with composure.

"No matter," he decided, lacing his fingers behind him just like Heckler. "No matter at all, really. You see, Doctor, I'm a_ survivor. _And what do survivors do, General?"

"Survive," Heckler answered stoically.

In any other circumstance, Tenma would have snorted. _That _was the inept duo he remembered. Overcome by hunger for power, but lacking the brains to do it properly - and safely. The destruction from Stone's _last _lack of forethought still remained throughout the city.

But there was something different in Stone's eyes now. The crazy was still there, the hunger, but there was something hard, too. Something that scared Tenma.

He didn't laugh.

Stone, however, did, and it was cold - colder than Tenma had ever heard a laugh from any living man. "Mm, yes, Tenma, I _survive,_" he laughed. _"You're _the scientist, aren't you? You know. Survivors _adapt."_

Tenma's blood ran cold. _He knew where this was going._ He'd known from the moment he'd seen who his kidnapper was. The motive hadn't changed…

Just the means.

Stone had stopped his pacing and had grown very close to Tenma, much, _much _closer than Tenma would ever want, the smell of the former-President's unwashed teeth and body odor wafting over him as he tried to turn his head away.

"I _adapt_, Tenma," he hissed, and there was true venom in his voice. "And if the voters will no longer vote for me, I suppose I'll just have to _take _the power that is rightfully mine, won't I?"

He laughed again and Tenma shivered. "I just need to power to do so," he breathed, pulling away with a dastardly smile that truly reflected the man he had always been, behind the smiling at the cameras and the speeches and the diplomacy. This was the Stone Tenma had come to know. _This _was a Stone with no boundaries.

"I need a robot," Stone told him then, plain and simple, like everything that had gone down hadn't happened and he was still the President, just telling Tenma what the army required. He wagged his finger at Tenma, almost like Tenma had done on more than one occasion to Toby. "One that _I _can control, completely, no catches. One even _more _powerful than the Peacekeeper!"

"No such thing exists!" Tenma snapped, shaking his chair. "Not anymore. We won't stand for that kind of unharnessed power any longer!"

"No?" Stone asked lightly, and the smile didn't even begin to falter. "No, I suppose you don't anymore, do you? I heard all about your little _robot boy."_

Tenma let out a shaky breath and Stone's smile widened, knowing he'd landed a hit.

"Quite the father you are," he taunted, his eyes glinting with enjoyment. "Not so supportive of that little bugger anymore, are you?"

"You shut up," Tenma hissed. "You _shut up about him."_

"Ooooo," Stone half-laughed, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Defensive, defensive! Especially for the man who killed the thing himself."

"Deactivated," Tenma managed. "I..I only deactivated him. The government handled the rest. You can't use him. He's gone."

"Heh." Stone's smile was light and his eyes twinkled with an edge, like he knew something Tenma did not. "Now that's just too bad, isn't it? But no matter. The robot boy was not what I came for."

Tenma's mouth hung open. "It's not?"

Stone just shook his head slowly, grinning wide. The pacing resumed.

"As I hacked into your files," he began. "I found the most curious thing..."

Behind him, Heckler frowned. "You didn't hack 'em," he started, brow furrowed in honest confusion. "You had our hostage hack 'em because you couldn't find the Holo-net icon and - "

_"Be quiet, _you idiot!" Stone hissed, whipping around, and Heckler quickly shut up. Tenma wheezed out half a laugh half a sob. His emotions were a bit tangled.

Stone turned back and smoothed his hair with a sigh. "Sorry about that," he apologized, as if this were a meeting, not a hostage situation.

"Anyway," he continued flippantly, almost cheerily. "I stumbled upon this _curious _little file. A long forgotten project, in fact. The _X-project._"

He stopped to admire Tenma's expected reaction at this.

He got it. Tenma about barfed. "Doesn't exist!" he blurted. "That was long ago, pre-Peacekeeper, pre _you -"_

"I'm aware," Stone interjected, and his expression was just a tad unhinged. "But this...this _project_. Oh, I can _read, _Tenma, and this project was _magnificent!_ A robot with the same capabilities as your little boy bot experiment, but bigger - _three times, _I've been informed - and human controlled. _Cockpit, _Tenma, that's what I'm talkin' abo - "

"It was never finished!" Tenma blurted. "It was put on the shelf because we couldn't find a large enough power source to support it."

"Ah, but you _have _a large enough power source _now, _don't you?" Stone sneered, and Tenma's breathing hitched. _No._

There was a small gleam of metal and Heckler promptly passed Stone a small metal box. Tenma looked on with wide, terrified eyes as Stone slowly pressed a tiny button on the smooth surface and flipped the lid dramatically to reveal the Blue Core, glowing and spiraling majestically. The gleam illuminated Tenma's horrified face almost ironically.

_"This,"_ Stone breathed grandly, picking up the Core easily and holding it up like a prize. It turned his face blue and the crazy glinted and twisted in his cruel eyes. "With it, I can control the X robot and take back my rightful position as President of Metro City! _HA!_"

He smirked down at Tenma madly. "And this time," he whispered gleefully. "This time I don't _need_ an election."

"You're _mad," _Tenma gasped. "Besides, the X robot isn't completed, it never made it past early development!"

"Ah, yes," Stone agreed, and the wagging finger was back. "But that's where _you _come in, _doctor."_

The last word came out in spit and Tenma flinched as it drenched his left cheek. _"You'll _finish it for me."

"I'd never do that," Tenma said defiantly, raising his chin.

Stone simply raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he lilted, and there was a dangerous edge to his voice that Tenma had never heard. It chilled him to the bone. "We'll see about that."

And with that, he clasped his hands behind his back and walked over to a small lab table Tenma had not previously noticed. Tenma's heartbeat quickened to see it filled with various tools, _all_ of which could inflict harm.

Stone selected a rather large hammer and ran and hand over it, feeling the edges and smiling evilly.

Tenma put on his bravest face. "Torturing me will do nothing," he said shakily, trying to keep his head high and the fear out of his eyes.

"Oh, I know," Stone responded, and the smile only grew. "And although you were the _real _reason behind my arrest at the hands of the robot boy, I need you intact." He twirled the hammer lightly, chuckling. "So instead…"

He gave a short nod to Heckler, who promptly disappeared somewhere behind Tenma's chair. Tenma tried to twist around to see him, but he couldn't quite turn himself far enough.

There was a small pause, then Tenma heard the distinct, familiar squeal of wheels on the lab floor.

Then a gurney-like table rolled on past him and Tenma let out a cry.

_"TOBY!"_

And so it was - the little, broken robot version of Toby Tenma, strapped down and spread eagled on the table with thick clamps. Heckler wheeled the table easily up to Stone and dispersed to a respectful distance, and evil grin on his stout face.

Stone simply smiled down at the dormant form of the robot child, lifeless and helpless. The hammer continued to twirl.

"Yes," he murmured, almost in answer of Tenma's cry. "The _physical _cause behind my downfall."

He turned to Tenma then, the hammer wagging instead of his finger this time.

_"You _created it," he accused. "You created it and refused to _kill it _when I told you to!"

He glared fiercely, arms waving with his growing rage. _"It _is the reason I lost the election and _it _is the reason I was arrested!" he roared. _"You _created it and plotted _my _downfall."

The red-hot anger was overflowing him now and Tenma could see it, even as Stone advanced on him, the hammer still swinging. His heart raced, his veins were ice -

"So, since I can't hurt _you," _Stone snarled. _"It _will pay the full price of _both _of your treason."

The words appeared to echo...and that's was when Tenma realized what he was going to do. _"NO!" _he screeched, but Stone was already moving, twisting to face his prey and holding out an unwavering hand.

Heckler moved obediently and handed him the glowing Blue Core with almost reverence.

_**"NO!" **_Tenma screeched again, struggling against his bindings with the desperation of a father, but Stone only waltzed over with ease and care, flipping open the little robot's chest hatch almost in slow motion and placing the Core gently inside. With a small push, the hatch fell back down and disappeared seamlessly back into the smooth chest.

Then he raised the hammer and waited for him to awake.

All Tenma could do was watch in utter horror.

~O~

**Stone's POV**

The robot boy's eyes flickered, and before he could do so much as flinch, Stone brought the hammer down on his chest. _Hard._

The robot shrieked in pain and Stone couldn't help but smile. His hatred for the little abomination was absolute and he despised it with every_ inch _of his being. The screams rang and bounced around his ears as he began to hit it again and again and again and it was _heaven. _He'd waited for this.

Every second of its agony was savory. How it could possibly feel was far beyond him, but he didn't care. As long as both it and Tenma suffered, he was happy.

After a round, he picked the hammer up again, breathing heavily and satisfied with the giant dent he'd made on the robot's metal chest. The 'bot's eyes were open and sparkling with pain, terror, and anguish. Stone relished it for a moment, before the hammer came down again, this time on the robot's left arm.

The android screamed, eyes squeezing shut in utter suffering. A sizable dent crooked the arm, but it was not completely demolished.

Stone frowned down at it unhappily. That wouldn't do. He wanted this robot _crippled._

He snapped his fingers and Heckler immediately wheeled over the assortment of tools. Turning to it for half a second, Stone switched his hammer out for a hefty, overlarge wrench. With a grin he immediately began to whack at the joint of the machine's left arm. The sound of metal on metal was almost musical.

The 'bot writhed and squealed, squirming and twisting against the bindings as Stone continued to hack. Sparks began to fly and Stone's grin widened.

_"Stop!" _Tenma was screeching. _"STOP IT! __**STOP HURTING HIM, I BEG YOU!"**_

__But Stone only ignored him, his arm moving sporadically, manically, as the robot's arm slowly became a mash of demolished technology, broken as Stone had been broken. He didn't stop, not until the arm was only hanging at the elbow by a few wires, a clump of them exposed and sparking in the odd lighting of the lab. Definite fire hazard, Stone figured, and he laughed.

The machine groaned and moaned feebly, half-lidded eyes flickering blue occasionally as the damage it had sustained tried to process. Stone was breathing hard from the exertion he'd put forth in damaging such a powerful robot and from the aftermath of the wave of rage he'd been hit with. His arm lay heavy, but tingled with satisfaction. He didn't think he'd ever been so elated in his life, not even when he'd been first elected.

He turned to Heckler and offered him the wrench, silently asking his blood-thirsty, hulk of an assistant if he wanted a go. The former-General nodded enthusiastically and grabbed a wrench even bigger than Stone's off the bench and began whacking. The screams restarted, mixed with that of Tenma's heaving, racking sobs.

_"Please," _Tenma choked out at him from behind, his arms bleeding from where the wire had cut into him from struggling and eyes bloodshot with tears. _"Please, _Stone, I beg you. Do what you want with me, but please, _please s-stop…"_

But Stone just smiled and ignored him, eyes sparkling in the light of the sparks coming off the robot's body.


	23. A Small Window

**__(A/N: Hello. Sooooo...long story short, I graduated high school (part of the reason this has been delayed), I'm committed to a college (another part), I have a good summer job that I work 40-60 hours a week at (pays good, too, another part) and I'm almost done with my novel! (Annnnd there is where all writing time has gone!) Also, I got a new laptop, but I don't have Office on it yet, so I wrote this in Google Docs and had to use the copy/paste option on Doc Manager (which is shifty at best.) Sorry that I've kind abandoned you guys, but I haven't left for good! I promise this will be finished! Hang with me, and thanks for all the positive feedback! I can't handle the hits on this right now. Enjoy!__**

**_BTDubs, too, I'm doing Camp Nanowrimo! Super pumped.)_**

"_Astro!"_

Cora's voice was raw, but this time she wasn't the only one having an intense reaction. Her hands clutched the end of the computer desk in a death grip while Toby just stared at the screen with a sickened look of horror, flinching each time the wrench hit Astro's body..._his _body.

Again and again and again. Hit after hit, and all Astro was doing was writhing.

"Why is he just _lying _there!?" Cora cried, and there were tears again. And she'd thought she'd run out. "_WHY ISN'T HE FIGHTING BACK!?"_

"Because…." Toby trailed, and his eyes went wide - real wide. "Cora, I don't think he _can!" _

Toby's hand shot to his pocket and he pulled out something small. A chip.

Cora gasped and felt her horror grow. _The_ chip. She'd forgotten all about it. Toby had too.

Elefun just stared. "Is that…?"

"Astro's memory chip," Toby confirmed, and he twirled it between his thumb and forefinger for Elefun to see. "The one with my DNA in it."

"DNA?" Cora echoed. "Where did you - "

Toby pointed to Astro's blueprints. "In there," he answered. He looked briefly disturbed, but it was just in passing. He set the chip down gently on the desk.

Elefun was aghast. "You mean to say," he sputtered. "That Astro doesn't have his _memories?"_

Toby nodded forlornly. "That's why he isn't fighting back," he explained. "He has no humanity, not without this chip and the Core together. It's his...heart and soul, kind of."

Elefun seemed to be having difficulties with words for once in his lifetime, so Toby jumped in, filling him on everything crash-course style since they had last talked. Astro's screaming provided a bit of an urgent background noise.

By the end of it, Elefun was shaking, but if anything, his horror had kicked him into overdrive.

"We have to help him," he breathed.

"Uh, _yeah_," Toby agreed. His gaze flicked back to the screen, and his fingers began to type furiously. The visual of Astro minimized and he flipped the sound off so that they could no longer hear Astro's screeching. Blue numbers flashed across the screen.

Cora leaned over. "What're you doing?"

"Hacking the Ministry of Science," Toby said. "Or at least, trying to. Elefun, any advice?"

Elefun turned his palms up with a sorrowful look. "I know some of the shortcuts required for hacking," he said. "But my expertise is in the fields of natural science and astronomy. Technology and robotics are your father's realm."

Toby sighed. "Figures," he said darkly.

Cora leaned in further. "Can you get in?" she pressed. She had asked him this so many times before, but she never seemed to feel sure.

But Toby nodded surely. " "Eventually…" he said, but he trailed. "I just hope I'm not too late."

He glanced at the little square that was Astro's minimized feed and grimaced, before quickly turning his full attention back onto his hacking.

It was only minutes, although it felt like hours to Cora before Toby let out a whoop.

"I'm in!" he exclaimed, and a small black window began to grow on his screen. "I've managed a small opening in the Ministry of Science's mainstream server. So much easier hacking a computer _in _the Ministry and letting _it _do all the work!"

Cora was lost. "Sorry, what?"

Toby gave her half an eyeroll without really looking away from the screen. "I'm connected to my Dad's computer in the Ministry, kind of, and it's giving me access."

"So we can get in the Ministry?" she pushed.

Toby nodded. "Yes. Yes, we can get in."

"Great!" Cora exclaimed, and she grabbed Toby by the arm and yanked him, causing him stumble out of his chair. "Let's go!"

"Not so fast!" Toby gasped, stopping her. He turned to Elefun. "Elefun, I need you to monitor the hacking window," he rushed.

Elefun blinked. "Monitor?" he repeated.

Toby sighed. He pointed to the screen. "Here, see this number?" he said, showing him a flashing neon blue string of numbers. Dr. Elefun nodded.

"If that number drops below 400,600, we're in trouble," Toby explained. "That means the window I opened is closing. The number is the number of pixels, security codes, files, firewalls, etcetera etcetera I was able to bypass. If the number goes down, something I broke through has recovered and blocked me out. The window won't hold up forever, but I'm worried it won't hold up long enough. So if the number drops, I need you to type this code."

He typed a few strokes and pulled up a scratchpad program, quickly typing a long string of complicated-looking code.

He glanced at Elefun. "Can you do that?"

"I...I think so," Elefun spluttered unconfidently, but he sat down at the computer nonetheless.

Toby nodded. "Good." Then he turned to Cora and took in a big breath. "Okay," he exhaled. "Let's go."

Cora gave him a scrutinizing look. "Do you have plan?"

Toby's lip quivered. "I'm working on it," he muttered, before brushing past her and out the door.

Cora hovered for half a second, looking at the visual of Astro.

"Just...hang on," she whispered, before running out after Toby.

~O~

Tenma's voice was hoarse from screaming and he'd long ago buried his nose in his left arm. He couldn't look at Toby anymore.

Heckler was patrolling between the two of them lazily, massive wrench in hand. He was hitting Toby occasionally, wherever place best took his fancy, and causing the poor robot to grunt or moan in pain. He was clearly enjoying himself.

Stone had left them at some point, disappearing somewhere behind Tenma and out of view. Tenma hadn't heard him moving around back in the remnants of his old lab, but then again, Toby's screeching had drowned out most other sounds.

Speaking of which. After a particularly hard hit and pain-filled yelp, Tenma couldn't help but steal a glance at him. His little robot son, whose every inch of being had been handcrafted with love by his hands.

It had been a bad idea. Tenma felt like his heart was being surgically pulled apart. Toby looked so pitiful - trampled and broken. As Tenma stared, he saw a shudder run through his bodies' artificial nervous system, before his fingers gripped the table. Tenma's heart skipped a beat as Toby's head twisted around on his neck to look at him, mouth open in a silent scream. Tenma felt bile began to rise in his throat as brown eyes buzzing with blue electricity stared back into his. They were dead. Lifeless.

Tenma choked slightly. "Toby?" he whispered hoarsely.

But Toby didn't respond, simply looking back at him with an expression of pain that soon melted into one of blank, languid exhaustion.

Tenma's breathing grew rapid. "Toby," he got out again. "Toby, I'm...I - I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I should have never shut you off. It was a mistake - a horrible, horrible _mistake!"_

He choked again, this time on the tears that were beginning to leak from his eyes. "I'm so sorry," he whispered again, but Toby's only response was a few blinks and a couple blue sparks.

Tenma's chest was being wracked by heavy sobs, and a pain he'd become all too familiar with was stabbing him in the heart, again and again. He knew it from Esmeralda, and he knew it from Toby - both of them. It was loss.

"Toby…" he gasped again, begging this time. "Toby, _please _say something. Please, say you forgive me!"

But Toby remained limp, and it was then that it hit him. Like he'd been smacked with a bag of bricks, Tenma remembered.

The chip. The _chip. Toby's memory chip! _He'd taken it out, for good...and without it the Toby he knew was no longer in there. The robot before him was just a shell - Toby's body, functioning and feeling, but not all _there._

He...he was without humanity. All he knew right now was this inhuman pain and a general awareness of the lab around him - and even that would not stick because there was no hard drive for the memories to be stored. Every hit was a new experience for him, real and without any expectation.

Tenma cringed and this time, the bile reached his mouth and he had to hold it back with his tongue. What had he done. _What had he done? _Toby didn't even know how to _talk _without his chip. That explained why he wasn't saying anything.

In that moment, Tenma had never hated himself more, and in that moment, he realized everything was lost. The Toby he'd come to love, the robot version who had separated himself from the original to become his own person, selfless and loving, was gone. Without the chip, he was soulless.

Without the _chip_...a chip that'd he put in his _pocket…_

Tenma's heart skipped another beat, but this time from a small sliver of hope. _All might not be lost._ If he could just get the chip into Toby's antenna hatch...maybe Toby could kick himself back into gear long enough to get them both out of this mess alive.

His right fingers wiggled for his pocket against his bonds, scratching against lab fabric blindly as he searched for the familiar folds. His heart was beating in his ears from urgency and slim optimism, and he had to hide a small, relieved smile as his forefinger managed to catch the end of the pocket and sneak inside.

But to his despair, his finger only met the bottom. His pocket was empty. The chip...the chip was gone.

Tenma closed his eyes. No. _NO! _Where was it? He had been so sure that it had been there, that he'd slipped it there when he'd taken it out of Toby's antenna. He'd been so _sure, _but now all he could do was whimper and throw his head back in anguish. All hope was lost. Without the chip, Toby was gone and he was helpless.

_Nothing could save them now._

B-B-BBEEEeeeeeeppp…._click._

Tenma's head shot up. He knew that sound. _He'd know that sound anywhere._

That was the sound of the Ministry of Science's security being shut down, essentially unlocking all doors, labs and rooms and allowing access to anyone. He knew it because he'd designed it, even if had only been put into effect once, when the city had lost power and they'd had to shut down the Ministry to prevent loss of data.

On cue, the lights turned off, plunging the room into darkness. Heckler cursed, and Tenma heard him trip and fall. He smirked - somewhat, but his mind was racing. No windows meant complete darkness, but who had shut down the building? Who was smart enough and educated in using Ministry technology enough to be able to hack the Ministry's highly advanced security system?

He supposed someone who worked at the Ministry could. One of his employees might be able to manage it, but it was extremely hard to do, especially from the outside. Just opening a _small_ window in the security - just enough to turn off the lights and gain entrance - took advanced skill...and that seemed to be what whoever had hacked the Ministry had done. In all honestly, he doubted anyone but himself could even -

He stopped then, mid-thought, frozen in place as his own words washed over him like icy water.

No one but him or someone _related_ to him.

Toby. Tenma's real, flesh and blood son. _Toby_ had hacked the Ministry and shut off the lights. He was here, in the building. Tenma was sure of it.

But that solidity gave him no comfort. If anything, he felt even more anguished and helpless.

Help was on the way - or at least, it was in _Toby's_ mind. But Toby was only leading himself right into a trap. Stone and Heckler lay in wait, and robot Toby was just a shell. Toby may have brains, but there was no feasible way that Tenma could see that Toby could grab the upper hand in this situation. He was just a _child_ - a rash child who had proven countless times that despite his genius he rarely thought through a situation before diving in head first. It had nearly gotten him killed with the Peacekeeper - in fact, Tenma had thought it _had_ killed him.

And Tenma had a feeling that a vengeful Stone was much more dangerous than any rogue robot ever would be.

With an ever growing, sinking feeling of despair, Tenma sunk in his chair, defeated and drained. His wife and his robot son had already been ripped from him, and now his human son whom he had thought dead for so long was soon to join the list. The striking pang in his chest he had grown so familiar with had grown even more painful - something Tenma had learned to believe was not even possible.

Right then, all he really wished was that Stone would have just shot him in the head a long time ago and saved him the trouble of ever loving in the first place.


End file.
